What REALLY Happened in Johto
by UltimateContestShipperB2
Summary: This is a story about what happens when loner Drew decides to let May journey with him through Johto. Other characters including OCs will come in. T for safety reasons and bad words ...ContestShipping. It's not fluffy yet, but it will be. R&R please...
1. Water, Water, EVERYWHERE!

**A/N: **I know I should be working on Crash, but I dug this up, and I fell in love with it…enjoy.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Pokémon. Or the characters...Or dehydrated vegetables. =(

**What **_**Really**_**Happened in Johto!**

**Chapter 1:** Water, Water, EVERYWHERE!

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Drew sat in his tent on his inflatable mattress, sighing angrily. The rain always bothered him with its constant pounding. It gave him a headache, and Drew with a headache was not the best of company—not that he had any company himself. At this point, though, the torrent was so bad that he couldn't even move from the cover of his tent, let alone think.

He also knew that after the rain, the fog would come, which would make it very difficult to see. Drew had good vision, but fog as thick as pea soup was another story. After all, he didn't want to ruin his perfect face on by running into a tree, now did he? Lucky for him, Masquerain knew Defog.

The fog was annoying, but camping was worse. _Camping_ was just about the most infuriating part of going on an adventure. It was dirty, sweaty, unsanitary…Now he was letting himself go crazy. _No, camping's not so bad…I just wish someone could come along with me_, he thought.

May groaned, opening her eyes as she listened to the downpour pounding on the rain fly of her tent. It was threatening to collapse under the weight of the water. Camping sucked; it was just straight up nasty. She was all muddy, and the insects were almost unbearable. She'd had to bathe in a _freezing_ and probably leech-infested stream, and she hadn't eaten anything other than _stew—_which was really just pasta that hadn't been strained and some rehydrated vegetables—for WEEKS!

Well, it wasn't really about the camping (although that made up most of May's hatred)…it was just that now that May was in Johto, she had no one to travel with. Solidad and Harley offered to let her travel with them, but she really only wanted to travel with one fellow coordinator—_who isn't on the menu, _she reminded herself bitterly.

May looked at the cover of the magazine she'd picked up at the Pokémon Center earlier that week. It was a picture of Drew lounging on some beach (probably Slateport Beach) with some slut in a black bikini. She was a _blonde_, as if it made a difference. They were all cuddly together, all up-close-and-personal. It was _disgusting. _

"That should be me," May said to herself. Then, she threw the thought from her head like she was tossing a flying disc to Beautifly.

_Who cares about _Drew_ anyway?_ she thought.

_I do,_ the other side of her mind argued.

She flung the magazine onto the floor of her filthy tent, stomping on Drew's wonderful face on the cover. _NO! His face isn't _wonderful_! That's the face of a jerk! Look at him leading you on! _May thought.

May tried to exit the tent, only to remember that she would become completely soaked _after _she opened the zipper. The wind whipped her face as she fought to close the tent's door flap again. But it was no use. The zipper was stuck fast, and it wouldn't budge no matter how hard she pulled.

She cursed under her breath. Why did these things _always_ happen to her? She pulled harder, ripping at the zipper. Finally, after becoming completely soaked by the rain, May successfully closed the tent.

May shook the water from her head, furious. The rain was pounding harder than ever now. She was at the swearing point now. Then, her profanities were interrupted by her Pokénav ringing.

"Hello?" she muttered.

"Hey, May," Drew replied.

May felt the blush rush to her cheeks before she could stop it. It turned out that she missed his voice since the Olivine City Contest.

"Oh…uh…Drew…why are you calling?" she stammered.  
Her blush deepened as he chuckled over the phone.

"Can't I just call from time to time? Considering I'm so out of your league, there's no reason for you not to try and learn a thing or two from me,"

"What do you mean? I'm _in_ your league!" May said, outraged.

"Whatever you say, May," Drew said smoothly. "Anyway, I was calling to ask if you wanted to travel 'round Johto with me. I just figured that since you're struggling out here, you'd need some help…of course, if I'm wrong—"

"No! I am most definitely not_ struggling_!"

"All right, all right. Don't have a Miltank. But, if it makes you feel better, we _could_ travel together. I mean, I have four ribbons, so I _would _like a cheerleader for the Azalea Contest, if you don't mind,"

"Sorry, but I'm going to _beat_ you in that contest!"

"If you say so, but I wouldn't be so sure. After all, I have _four _ribbons. How many do _you_ have, May?" Drew asked innocently.

She was quiet for a minute, her blush turning shameful. "Two," she muttered.

"What was that?" Drew asked. "Come on, enunciate; it's raining, remember?"

"I have two ribbons," she said through clenched teeth.

"Only two? What a pity. It seems like you _do_ need my help," Drew mused. "I suppose I _could_ take you under my wing,"

"Under your—fine…but only if you promise not to act like a jerk," May replied grudgingly.

"Sorry, May, but I'm afraid I can't make any such promises. It just wouldn't be any fun—or fair to my reputation,"

May said nothing for a moment, deliberating. If she went with him, it would seem desperate, wouldn't it? But she couldn't deny the truth. She definitely wanted to be around him…so…

"Okay. Where are you camped?" she asked.

"I'm on a hill above a meadow surrounded by a grove of trees. But don't you move. I'm coming to you; that's the polite thing to do. Where are you?" Drew replied.

"I'm in a meadow surrounded by a grove of trees. I'm situated right below a hill," May said quietly. **(A/N: Stalker much?...okay, not **_**really**_**…)**

"Weird. We're basically in the same area, although it was a good camp site with the stream really close by and all. That's why I picked it," Drew said matter-of-factly. "Plus, I heard from Absol that it was going to rain, so I camped on a hill. Only an _amateur _would camp on such low ground with a storm coming," Drew finished loftily.

"Well, at least I'm prepared for the rain! My tent's not going anywhere! I built it so solidly it—" she broke off as a gust of wind lifted her tent right out from under her. She swore, still clutching the Pokénav, as the tent door flew open, and she was dumped into the mud.

"Yup. Very solid, May. I just saw the tent fly away. Do you want to come up here now?" Drew asked.

"Yeah," May squeaked. She gathered her backpack and trudged up the hill, slipping in the mud. She was almost at the top when she lost her footing on some loose dirt. Her hands flailed in the air for a moment. Then, she felt a strong hand grab hers and lift her easily to higher ground.

Her Pokénav was safely around her neck, thankfully, and the call had disconnected, but May had a pretty certain idea that Drew had helped her up. She met his jade gaze now, smiling gratefully.

Drew bathed in her beautiful, glowing smile. She looked so…perfect. May watched as a real grin danced across Drew's face for the barest second. Then, it disappeared just as quickly as it had come, turning into a sarcastic smirk.

"See? That's pathetic, May. What would you have done without me?" Drew sneered, releasing May's hand so he could casually flip his bangs from his face.

Instead of becoming furious like Drew had expected her to become, she was appreciative.

"Thanks, Drew," May said, still smiling so beautifully Drew's head spun. He had no idea how he came up with his next retort, but he eventually surmised that it was just second nature.

"In thanking me, you do realize that you're admitting that you are totally lost without me, don't you?" Drew phrased it like a sentence, not a question, which really burned her up.

"Don't push it," May muttered.

They locked eyes for a minute, sapphire on emerald. The moment was peaceful as May took in Drew's face.

It had grown even more handsome than before. Apparently, he was an early bloomer; at thirteen, his voice had already deepened a little (but not in the awkward, teenager sense), and he had begun to grow taller and show signs of muscles—his ability to pull May up with one arm was evidence of that. Despite the fact he displayed almost all signs of puberty, he had no acne, and May could tell from his rain-soaked face that he wasn't wearing any makeup (she'd have been afraid if he was).

Drew cleared his throat, sweeping May back into the present.

"I'm assuming that you have nowhere to stay," he stated calmly, still sounding smug. His eyes danced with laughter as he spotted May's destroyed tent in a nearby tree.

"Nope," May said, casting her eyes down, shamefaced.

"Then, I guess we'll just have to share my tent," Drew said, as though it were no big deal.

"Wh-what?"

"You heard me," Drew opened the flap to his tent and entered nonchalantly. He beckoned May in, and she followed reluctantly.

The tent was a lot bigger on the inside than May's was. Everything looked like real, expensive equipment. Drew had a small, forest green backpack, and that was the only thing he had to put his stuff in. May couldn't help but ask,

"How do all of your things fit into your bag?"

Drew chuckled.

"Everything in here is completely collapsible. Most things collapse to the size of my finger. This tent, for example, shrinks to the size of my Pokénav," he said.

May gasped. "How did you afford all of that?" she demanded.

He shrugged. "Endorsements," Drew supplied lamely.

She scowled at him, but then she realized an even more pressing issue.

"But my sleeping bag is ruined," May said nervously. "Where do I sleep?"

He patted her shoulder and said,

"You can sleep on my air mattress," without even missing a beat…

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**A/N: **Be on the lookout for Chapter 2! By the way, _please_ review! Constructive criticism is welcome, but please, no flames.


	2. Almost Bearable!

**A/N: **Okay…Well, enjoy this next chapter! Thank you all for being patient! =D I love you all!

**Disclaimer**: I might be creative, but making up _Pokémon_? Now that's just _too_ creative! Plus, I'm not artistic enough to design all of those creatures…needless to say, I don't own Pokémon.

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Last time in...

**What Really Happened in Johto…**

_"But my sleeping bag is ruined," May said nervously. "Where do I sleep?"_

_He patted her shoulder and said,_

_"You can sleep on my air mattress," without even missing a beat…_

* * *

**Chapter 2: **Almost Bearable

"Wow, Drew, it's really nice of you to give up your air mattress for me," May said, smiling coyly.

Drew laughed again. "I'm not giving it up,"

May dropped the few possessions she'd salvaged onto the tent floor. She was going to sleep _with DREW_ on his air mattress? That _had _to be violating some kind of law…or something!

Drew sighed and helped her pick up her bag. "Fine," he muttered. "I'll sleep on the floor,"

May hugged him. "Thank you _so_ much!" she cried.

"Yeah, yeah," Drew said, shrugging her arms off. He was trying to hide the fact he was blushing even redder than a Pokéball from the sudden proximity. The only thing that stopped the blush was the thought of: _Great! Now I'm going to need a chiropractor! _Then, he looked at her smiling face again. _Okay, it's definitely worth it…_

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Later that evening…

The rain had stopped, finally, and May was sitting at the edge of the hill, looking down at the meadow—well, swamp now. She spotted her bright red tent, still up in a tree, and sighed. Now she'd have to share with _him_…She looked back at his big, forest green tent. It did look a lot better—not to mention sturdier—than her old one, but sharing anything with Drew was a nightmare.

She was sure he'd make fun of her. Or worse, force her to wake up outrageously early…No, she would only stick with him until they reached Violet City, and if he hadn't proven his worth by then, she'd ditch him.

"May, dinner's ready!" Drew called.

_Dinner? Screw worth! This guy can _cook!May thought as she devoured Drew's outstanding spaghetti.

Drew chuckled as he watched her eat. She'd had eight helpings all by herself, but she hadn't gotten a drop of sauce on her clothes or face. It was a miracle; traveling with May was actually bearable.

May took a break from stuffing her face to say, with her mouth full, "Drew, you gonna eat that?"

He shook his head. _Almost bearable._

_**

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The next morning…bright and early…

"Rise and shine, May!" Drew called in a singsong voice, unzipping the flap covering the screened window. Early morning sunlight filtered in, making Drew's hair sparkle. His emerald eyes glinted with their usual sarcastic air.

"Five more minutes, Ash…" she muttered, pulling the top of her sleeping bag over her face.

Drew flinched at hearing that name, but he didn't show it as he shook the girl again, pulling the sleeping bag off altogether. As it unzipped, May's hand rushed to the rapidly descending zipper, vainly attempting to close her sleeping bag.

"Come on, May, or you'll miss breakfast," he said calmly.

May was instantly up, jumping off of the air mattress. She began to deflate the thing and fold up her sleeping bag; she already noticed that Drew's stuff was all packed up.

"What's for breakfast? I'm starving!" May demanded. Then, she suddenly squealed. "Do you know how to make scrambled eggs? I want eggs! Do you have bacon?"

He resisted the urge to say, _I have more bacon than I know what to do with._** (A/N: as in MONEY)**Drew stayed completely serene as he easily hoisted his heavy forest green bag onto his back, getting ready to leave the tent.

"Hey, calm down," Drew replied. As an afterthought, he added, "By the way you talk about food, you'd think you've eaten nothing but soggy pasta and rehydrated vegetables for weeks…or something," He examined his fingernails in a bored manner.

"That's exactly what I ate, for weeks," she complained groggily, not picking up on his sarcasm. "But how do you know that?"

"Because those are the two easiest things to make on the face of the Earth…" He paused so he could smirk at her scowl. "And you told me before dinner last night," Drew said matter-of-factly.

"Right…forgot," May said, ducking her head.

Drew's smug smirk deepened because May was embarrassed. He just _fed _off of that kind of stuff.

May picked up on it and flared up instantly. "So? They're all I can make," Then, to her great irritation, she started blushing.

In response to May's shame, Drew's already large ego inflated like Harley's Wigglytuff.

He chuckled, smirked, and flipped his bangs from his face. "Why? Can't you cook?" he asked, knowing it would bug her.

She frowned sadly at him. "No," she admitted. "The last time I tried to make something decent I ended up nearly causing a forest fire," May mumbled.

"So, your temper finally caught up to you," Drew sneered.

Before she could respond with a good insult, Drew said,

"I'm gonna go make breakfast. You get dressed and pack up the tent. I'll be done in about fifteen minutes,"

"But you still haven't told me: WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST?" she demanded.

Drew sighed. Even his sighs were condescending. Inside, he felt happy that her yells weren't like shrieks; it was early in the morning, and he didn't want it to start like that.

"Eggs," he said finally. "Eggs and hash browns. If you want, I can make chocolate chip or blueberry pancakes, too, but we_ are_ a little pressed on time,"

May's eyes widened, and she felt the tears come. After all of the breakfast of still-soggy broccoli and overcooked oatmeal, May was so happy to be getting real food! She threw her arms around her arch-rival and hugged him.

"Hey, what was that for?" he asked through her hair; her head was on his shoulders, and she looked up at him adoringly. "Can't keep your hands off me?" He added that part just to annoy her.

May gasped and instantly relinquished her grasp. "Eeew! No!" Then, she sighed. "But, since you can cook, I'm gonna let it go, just this once. Now get out! I need to get dressed, and I'm not doing it with you in here!"

"Yeah, yeah," Drew said, unzipping the tent. He heard the flap zip rapidly behind him, and he smiled a real smile. Fortunately, his back was turned. Otherwise, he would've never heard the end of it from May; THE Drew doesn't _smile_.

Drew got to work on the eggs, humming to himself as he cooked. He had no idea why he was so happy, but he was, and since the day was bound to suck in the end, he wanted enjoy it while he still could (Drew was a naturally cynical person).

He remembered what he had done earlier that morning, and a smile came to his lips for the second time that day. Then, he looked at his watch. Five thirty. May should've been up before sunrise, so the two of them could argue while the sun rose. Instead, Drew had watched it alone. It'd been peaceful, yes, but also really boring.

Then, he felt his Roserade let itself out of its Pokéball. Yawning, it said,

"Rose, rose," (Someone seems happy on this fine morning.)

Drew's smile instantly turned upside-down. "What's _that _supposed to mean, Roserade?"

"Ro…Rose?" (It means, I'm worried. What happened to the old Drew?)

"He's right here. Look, Roserade, absolutely nothing's going to get in the way of us winning the Violet City contest. Nothing. Then, we'll have our fifth ribbon, and we can go to the Grand Festival," Drew said, patting Roserade on the back with one hand while flipping the eggs with the other.

"Rose. Roseee," his trusty friend replied. (Yeah, but it's not the nothings I'm worried about; it's the nobodies,)

"That's just ridiculous! In fact, I don't even know how to respond to that!" he shouted through his blush. He and his partner both knew that he knew what Roserade meant. **(A/N: wow…mouthful)**

A new voice cut in. "Wow! Drew's first temper tantrum!" May said. "I've gotta get this on video!"

Drew frowned slightly. Only slightly. "You're already dressed? But I'm not done with breakfast yet," he said.

"Oh…" she cast her eyes down. "I guess I was so excited to eat that I got ready too fast…" said May.

Roserade tear-dropped. "Rosee?" (Drew? Drew? Earth to Drew?)

Drew had been looking at May's outfit…oh, how it had changed since they'd last met. Now she wore an orange mini dress with biker shorts. Her bandana was now green, and, in Drew's opinion, it looked better than her previous outfit. Her hair had also grown longer, and she wore it more free-flowing than before. Her body had also become more…developed…In short, she looked so amazing that he couldn't help but stare. Why hadn't he noticed it yesterday? Maybe it had been raining too much…or something…

"Wh—What? Oh. Sorry," he mumbled. Then, he instantly regained his composure. "Well, May, I guess you'll just have to help me cook,"

She and Roserade both looked horror-struck. "But what if I set the woods on fire?"

"Rose ro?" (What if she sets me on fire?) Roserade held both its bouquets up in defense. "Rose, rose!" (Don't come any closer!) it threatened May.

May gulped. "You know I can't cook for my life, Drew," she said.

"Then I'll just have to teach you," he replied.

"Okay…" May murmured, still sounding doubtful.

Roserade scoffed briefly, muttering something about "that doesn't look like nobody to me" and "what happened to 'I don't know what you're talking about, Roserade'?". Then, it grabbed its own Pokéball from Drew and returned itself.

Drew bent and picked up his partner's Pokéball, muttering,

"Jealous?" to it.

Then, he sighed and turned back to May. "Sorry about that," he said.

May smiled suddenly.

"What?" Drew asked. "Do I have something on my face?" He wiped furiously at his skin, looking for whatever bit of something got on his face.

She shook her head, giggling, and Drew was relieved; THE Drew did NOT get stuff on his flawless face. "I think that's the first time you apologized to me," she said, still chortling.

"Oh…well don't get used to it," he muttered, averting his eyes embarrassedly.

"I won't," she said, meeting his gaze.

Drew looked away from May's blue eyes first, and May grinned but said nothing.

"Now, we should probably continue with breakfast," Drew said, flipping the eggs again.

"Hey, I have an idea!" May exclaimed. "How about you cook and I test?" She took out a spoon, and she sniffed the air. "That smells good," she added.

Drew groaned, snatching the spoon. "I know my food is good already. Can't you just help me cook? You won't start a forest fire while I'm here," he said.

May sighed. "Is that a promise?" she asked.

He nodded, smirking. "You need a promise?"

"Shake on it," she said. May offered her hand.

Drew took it, and he pumped it twice, just as he learned in etiquette school. As he did so, May gave him a strange look. Drew almost gasped as he realized what the look meant; May trusted him…

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A/N:

Thanks (as always) for reading! Review, please! And be on the lookout for Chapter 3! 


	3. Cooking, Cracking Up, and Conspiracies!

**A/N: **I'm so happy! Chapter 3 is up! Yay! R&R please! And enjoy…

**Disclaimer: **I'm just gonna come out and say it! I don't own Pokémon or the characters...wow, that felt good.

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_Last time in…What REALLY Happened in Johto!_

_May sighed. "Is that a promise?" she asked. _

_He nodded, smirking. "You need a promise?" _

_"Shake on it," she said. May offered her hand. _

_Drew took it, and he pumped it twice, just as he learned in etiquette school. As he did so, May gave him a strange look. Drew almost gasped as he realized what the look meant; May trusted him… _

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Chapter 3: Cooking, Cracking Up, and Conspiracies

"Here, next you crack the egg," Drew said, guiding her arm as she cracked the egg into a bowl.

"Like this?" May asked nervously, showing him the bowl that was miraculously free of egg shells.

He nodded, smirking.

She looked up at him and noticed his smirk. "What?" she asked.

"I just find it funny that you need my help to _crack an egg_," he sneered.

She instantly scowled but said nothing and continued to stir the eggs.

"Now, we add some flour," he said, getting an idea. He pinched some flour in his hand, and (despite the fact he knew it was extremely immature) he flung it at a very surprised May.

May now had a white splatter across her cheek. "Hey! Drew!" she screamed. She took the bowl of newly stirred eggs and dumped it on Drew's head.

She cracked up as his hair went from green to platinum blond. Egg dribbled down onto his forehead, and he wiped at it angrily. With that action started the food fight of the century.

By the end, they were covered in flour, but fortunately Drew had brought extra of everything.

"Look what you did, May," Drew said, still trying vainly to wipe the egg from his face.

May growled at him. "You started it!" she argued, pushing wiping flour from her hands onto his arm.

"Hey! I have enough flour, thank you!" he teased.

She smiled. Then, she got an idea. "Why don't we take a swim, Drew? Then we can get all this gunk off!"

"But we still haven't eaten yet," he said in surprise.

She waved her hand dismissively. "So. We'll eat later," she murmured.

He raised an eyebrow in shock but said nothing.

"Now, I'm going to change!" she said, running to the tent.

The second she left, Drew slumped onto a rock, sighing. For the second time that day, Roserade popped from its Pokéball.

"Rose…Rose?" (_You _like _her…don't you?) _it asked smugly.

He scoffed…a little too dramatically, in Roserade's opinion. "Really? You actually think that, Roserade? That's…ridiculous!"  
Roserade tilted its head to one side, staring at Drew with its eyes narrowed.

He hesitated; could he trust Roserade to keep a secret. He looked back at it. Yep. Roserade could be trusted. For now.

"Was it really that obvious?" he asked, sighing.

Roserade nodded. _"Ro, rose," (You've got it bad, really bad,)_ it said, pity dripping from every syllable.

He sighed again. "I know, but I can't help it, Roserade…and it's not the same…you know what I mean, don't you?"

His Pokémon nodded again, joining its trainer in sighing.

"But nothing will get in the way of our victory in—" He was cut off when May exited the tent…in a bikini.

Roserade raised an eyebrow, and Drew felt his face heat up with blush._ Wow, _he thought. He gulped. Then, he saw Roserade blushing, too. _So, it's male, is it? I should've known. _Although, he didn't know how he actually thought with such goddess-like beauty in front of him.

"I'll…get changed. Nice bathing suit, May," Drew said curtly flipping his bangs in that classic way that, to his satisfaction, made May blush a little.

The instant Drew zipped the tent, May sighed and wrapped a towel around herself, sitting on the same rock Drew had sat on.

"Hey, Roserade," May said casually, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

Roserade, who was still blushing, lifted a bouquet in greeting. It gave a small smile which could've been considered a smirk.

_Wow, it's so much like its master…_ May thought in awe.

"Rose?" it asked. Too bad May couldn't understand it. Although, she had a pretty good idea of what it was asking by the way it gestured to the tent as it spoke…

"Me? Like him? Is someone like me even _allowed _to like someone like him? Why would _he_ even like me? He treats me like crap all the time, he's so rude to me! It makes me want to rip my hair out, you know?" With each sentence she spoke, the angrier she got. By the end of her rant, she was panting, and she was absolutely furious!

_This is ridiculous! You know Roserade's gonna tell Drew…great…three straight days of constant bullying. Just great…_ May thought.

To her surprise, Roserade just grinned and patted her on the shoulder comfortingly. "_Rose_," it replied.

May was briefly confused, but that confusion was instantly over when Drew came out of the tent. He looked…godly…all toned and…wow…May sighed and barely suppressed a fangirly squeal. What happened to the old Drew? The short little scrawny one who was barely taller than May? Apparently, he grew up. Early.

"Wow," May murmured before she could stop herself.

Even with egg in his hair, he looked like the cover of a magazine for people who looked like they were made by the most talented artist ever…and even that comparison was inaccurate. He was so…perfect. Drew didn't even have a stray freckle or anything. It was unnatural.

"What did you say?" he asked, although his voice clearly articulated that he already knew what she'd said and was simply forcing her to repeat it in order to embarrass her.

"Um…nothing," she said, "accidentally" dropping her towel while rising from the rock.

Now it was Drew's turn to blush. "Um…uh,"

Roserade waved its fragrant bouquet in front of Drew's face, and he instantly snapped from his "trance".

May smiled. "Let's go swimming," she said excitedly.

Drew's face looked…nervous…but the expression faded so quickly May thought she'd imagined it.

"All right! Let's go to the stream. I saw a spring at the top. Put on some clothes, otherwise we might get distracted…" Drew didn't bother continuing.

"Right," May said, grabbing her stuff.

"And…Arcanine! Go!" Drew called.

May gasped. "You caught an Arcanine?" she demanded.

"Yeah. It's easy here in Johto; I helped out an Officer Jenny in Azalea Town because some group of idiots were cutting the tails off Slowpoke and selling them on the black market. So, I beat a few in battle, they left, and I got Arcanine's egg from Officer Jenny. I've been saving it, though; it's my ace in the hole," he explained smoothly.

"Arrrooof!" Arcanine panted excitedly, sniffing May interestedly.

May smiled with satisfaction as she pulled a Pokéblock out of her bag. "See? Looks like _someone_ likes my food!" she said proudly, patting Arcanine on the head, putting the Pokéblock onto the ground where the Pokémon instantly dove for it.

Drew simply chuckled. "Don't be too flattered; Arcanine eats anything," he said dismissively, pulling his shirt over his head.

May shrugged, still petting Arcanine. "You know, Arcanine's fur is really soft," she said as an afterthought, even though she knew that it would just keep inflating Drew's gigantic head.

Instead of what he would normally do, he simply took the compliment gracefully—at least, as gracefully as a guy like Drew knew.

"Thanks, May. I'm sure _that_'s the softest fur you'll ever feel on a Pokémon," he said, flipping his hair again. May was sure that _Drew's _hair was still softer—even covered in egg-y goop.

May looked to Drew's partner for guidance. Roserade shrugged helplessly, as if saying: _Well, that's the best you're gonna get. _

"Then let's get going," May said, grabbing Drew's hand.

Both instantly blushed, but they both kept their hands intertwined. Arcanine and Roserade exchanged a knowing look—a mix of pity and happiness for Drew.

Finally, May let go of his hand, grinning. They began walking, and walking led to talking. They spoke about what they'd been doing until reuniting.

"You visited Ash in Sinnoh?" Drew asked.

May nodded. "Although, I also went to partake in the Wallace Cup," she said.

Drew seemed satisfied with that answer, so it was May's "turn" to ask a question. She already had a good one up her sleeve.

"Why do you care so much about Ash, Drew?" asked May, grinning in triumph.

"Well...I…uh—look! We're here!" he said, changing the subject.

Disappointed, May looked out on the spring. Steam was rising from its waters.

"You didn't tell me it was a hot spring," May said. "What else aren't you telling me?"

"Hey, hey. I didn't actually know. In fact, I've come here before during my morning jogs, and it wasn't a hot spring…oh well," He threw off his shirt haphazardly, making sure to stretch and flex—and he made sure May was watching.

May then took off her shorts. Then, she unzipped her dress. Drew hadn't noticed that the zipper was in the front before. Then, she bent—very obviously—to pick up her dress and fold it.

Drew rolled his eyes. At least his showing off had been subtle.

Then, he did a neat dive; the spring was about sixteen feet deep at its deepest point. He instantly began treading water, but it was no big deal to him…well, yes it was. He was terribly afraid of everything to do with water—ever since the cliff-falling incident with May, he was afraid that water would one day take his life like it had his father's; Drew's dad drowned because of an unforeseen tropical storm.

He watched a May dove in, doing a flip through the air. Her entrance was neat (as in, she'd probably touched or skimmed the bottom), so Drew had an idea. He quickly did a "dead man's float", getting on his stomach, his head underwater, his body floating like he'd done an especially painful belly flop.

"Drew?" May demanded. "Drew?" Then, she realized he was faking. "That's not funny," she said.

Drew sighed and lifted his head; they were in the five foot deep area (approximately). "Fine," he said, raising his hands in surrender. "You got me; I make a terrible dead guy,"

May rolled her eyes.

"I know!" He put his hand to his heart. "My one true flaw! I just…can't do the dead man's float…"

She raised a hand and skimmed the water, splashing Drew in the face. "Oops," she said innocently. "Sorry,"

Drew wiped the water from his face, making a mock angry scowl. "You are going to pay for that, Maple," he said threateningly.

May pretended to gulp. "I'm…uh…kinda short on cash right now…do you take credit cards?" she said.

Drew smiled—almost. Then, he attacked her, and their splash fight began.

Meanwhile, Roserade had sent out Drew's other Pokémon; he kept their Pokéballs in his backpack when wearing trunks.

It told them the plan and gestured to Arcanine, who was already doing what it had to do to succeed. Because Drew had lost his sense of what was important, Roserade took it upon itself to help Drew see what came first and what should be put on hold—or avoided entirely.

Masquerain was given the daunting task of sending out May's Pokémon for the meeting. It was easy for a Pokémon with arm-like appendages like Roserade to hold and open a Pokéball, but Masquerain had wings…how was it expected to send out a Pokémon?

Thankfully, Roserade came to the rescue. After Beautifly was sent out, everything went a little hazy for Masquerain. Beautifly had gotten even prettier. But, Masquerain still got the basic idea. It looked at the two humans who had gotten so close in so little time. It was alarming.

Roserade began the meeting with a speech. **(A/N: I'm just going to make it all translated…just to make it easier to understand)**

"As you all know," it began. "Drew and May have been rivals for a while. However, some of us believe that their relationship has become something much more dangerous. I'm sure that May's Pokémon agree that this must be stopped at all costs. It's not just myself who sees the changes; Masquerain does, too," Roserade beckoned the Pokémon forward. "Masquerain has the floor," Roserade said, sitting down.

"Well, thank you all for being here," Masquerain said.

"Did we have a choice?" Absol asked boredly.

"No, no you didn't," Roserade said. "And no more interruptions. Please continue, Masquerain,"

"Thanks, Roserade. Now, anyways, I know for a fact that Drew has developed a human attachment to May. I know this because the whole reason he caught me was because of her…I heard him grumbling about it one night. And there's so much more. I mean, look! They're doing some kind of bizarre human mating ritual!" It gestured with an antenna to where the two coordinators were having a splash fight.

"This is worse than I thought," Arcanine said, returning from the bushes.

Roserade cleared its throat. "Now, it'd like to ask someone who belongs to May for their views…Venusaur?"

Venusaur stepped forward slightly, waving a vine at the eleven other Pokémon. "Hello everyone. I would just like to say, for the record, that May does _not _like Drew! She's still getting over her crush on Ash Ketchum. In fact, I've seen her do the exact same thing around Ash that she's doing now with Drew…"

Beautifly fluttered a wing (the equivalent to raising a hand).

"Yes, Beautifly?" Roserade asked.

"I would like to politely disagree with Venusaur. May has felt an attachment towards Drew since…well, since the beach, really. In my opinion, we need to do something before this gets worse—"

Venusaur opened its mouth to argue, but Beautifly continued.

"Even if there's nothing romantic going on, we all agree that we have to do _something _to make sure nothing ever does," Beautifly insisted.

Blaziken, the quiet one, raised an arm excitedly. "I have an idea, guys!" it said once it was called on. Blaziken went to each Pokémon and whispered the plan in its ear. Each one had a different part of the plan. The only one who knew the whole thing was Roserade; Roserade and Blaziken were voted Operation Leaders.

Roserade put a bouquet into the center of the circle. Each Pokémon in the group put a paw or hand-like object of some sort into the circle until twelve of them were there.

"Commence Operation Breakup!" Roserade said, smiling evilly; it was so much fun to mess with people…

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you liked it! Again, Review! Also, thanks for reading and be on the lookout for Chapter 4—let's just say the road to Violet City never did run smooth…


	4. Distractions, Danger, and Disobedience!

**A/N: **Wow, this was really late! I'm so sorry. But, I hope this is better than Chapter 3…as always, R&R!

**Disclaimer: **I'm sick of trying to come up with something witty to say each time. I don't own Pokémon, and I think we all know that already. But if not, there you go.

* * *

_Last time in...What REALLY Happened in Johto..._

_Roserade put a bouquet into the center of the circle. Each Pokémon in the group put a paw or hand-like object of some sort into the circle until twelve of them were there._

_"Commence Operation Breakup!" Roserade said, smiling evilly; it was so much fun to mess with people…_

_

* * *

_**Chapter 4: Distractions, Danger, and Disobedience! **

* * *

May and Drew left the spring thoroughly soaked and clean—and completely unaware of what their Pokémon had planned for them. Both were laughing at each other and their silly little splash fight.

Meanwhile, all of their Pokémon knew the plan, and they had all returned themselves—Except for Drew's signature Pokémon. Roserade was giving Drew one last chance, one last chance to change his mind. It was letting him choose his fate.

"_Ro rose rose ro!_" (_She's trying to make you lose!_) it exclaimed when they made it back to the campsite. May was packing up in the tent, leaving Roserade the perfect opportunity.

Drew knew exactly which _she_ Roserade was talking about: May. Drew also strongly believed his Pokémon was completely wrong.

"So, let me get this straight, Roserade: you think May's getting in the way of my career?" he demanded.

"Rose!" (_Duh!)_ it exclaimed.

"That's crazy talk. Trust me, we're going to win our fifth ribbon in Violet City. Then, it won't even matter!" he said.

Roserade's eyes narrowed; it didn't believe Drew. One bit.

Then, it thought of the perfect thing to say to its friend to make him understand. "_Rose…Rose ro?_" (_You like her…don't you?_) Its eyes glowed with triumph.

"Roserade!" he hissed, blushing.

His partner rolled its eyes. "Ro rose, ro?" (_Come on, Drew!_ _Who _doesn't _know?_) it raised its bouquets in anger.

Drew simply took out Roserade's Pokéball, returning it. That was it, then. In his partner's eyes, Drew had made his decision. The best part was, Roserade knew exactly what to do, exactly what Drew hated the most. It knew exactly what to tell its friends. Plan B would be put into action.

Drew was none the wiser, too. That was an added bonus. He went about his business—which happened to be making breakfast; the last eggs burned—inexplicably happy. Although, it might've been because of May. In fact, it probably was.

"We're probably going to get going soon, May," Drew said over breakfast, which was delicious.

"Yeah. We should also practice, though," she reasoned, pausing with her fork over the last pancake, deliberating.

"Take it," Drew said, handing her the plate.

"Thanks, Drew!" May said, stuffing the entire pancake into her mouth. "This is _so_ good!" she said. Too bad her mouth was full.

"Weren't you raised better than to talk with your mouth full?" Drew asked primly, standing up.

"And weren't you raised better than to leave before the person you are dining with is finished?" she shot back.

"Touché," he said, sitting back down.

"Now, I'm done," May said with an air of finality. "Wartortle! Let's do the dishes!" she cried, sending out the water type.

"Absol, help us, too!" Drew said.

Absol and Wartortle exchanged a knowing wink that went completely unnoticed by their masters. Time to execute the plan! This was going to be fun…

"Now, use Water Gun on this plate," May said to Wartortle, holding up a plate that was covered in maple syrup.

"Absol, control your Water Pulse into a concentrated beam. Direct it at this bowl here," Drew commanded, taking a dirty bowl from the pile.

Absol and Wartortle grinned evilly at each other. Then, they did the unthinkable. Wartortle used Water Gun, all right, but it sprayed Drew directly in the face. Absol did the same thing to May.

"Aaaah! Stop it!" May and Drew screamed simultaneously.

The two Pokémon were chortling now. Drew took Absol aside, beginning to launch into a tirade, his furious face soaking wet.

"What's gotten into you lately, Absol? I can't believe you openly disobeyed me like that! It's not like I'm a rookie with no ribbons!" he snarled. If there was one thing Drew hated, it was blatant disobedience and disrespect.

Absol pretended to look sheepish and apologetic throughout Drew's diatribe about obedience and training, but inside, it was planning the next attack. Besides, it wasn't anything Absol hadn't heard before.

"Wartortle! Why did you do that?" May demanded. "You're making me look terrible in front of Drew! Now, go apologize," May ordered.

Wartortle gave Drew's Absol the signal. Time for the secondary attack. The turtle-like Pokémon approached Drew shyly, an apologetic smile on its face.

Absol approached May, tail between legs, looking very innocent and very, very sorry. Inside, it was smiling evilly. _This is for yelling at me after failing Razor wind, Drew! _it thought.

"It's okay, Absol," May said. "I know it was an accident,"

"Don't worry, Wartortle," Drew said to May's Pokémon. "No hard feelings,"

Absol and Wartortle looked at each other from across the clearing. One, two, three.

"Absoool!"

"Waartortlllle!" they cried simultaneously.

Absol ducked back, making it look like May's pat had been a slap. Wartortle hid in its shell, whimpering, making it look like Drew had kicked it.

"Drew? Did you just _kick_ my Wartortle?" May demanded.

"What are you talking about?" He ran to his sobbing Absol. "And I suppose you think it's acceptable to slap Absol!" he shouted.

"It's okay, Wartortle!" May said, patting her Pokémon gently.

"Absol, are you alright?" Drew asked quietly.

Both Pokémon looked at one another, smiling toothily. Since both looked okay, Drew and May started in on each other.

"How could you do that? Why did you hurt my cute little Pokémon?" May demanded, her whole face turning crimson.

"You hit my Absol!" Drew yelled. "What's your problem?"

"Apologize!" both said at the same time.

The two coordinators turned their backs on each other, and May said, "Well, I don't have to deal with this!"

"No, you don't!"

She met his furious gaze, looking into those green eyes, the eyes of a Pokémon abuser. She looked at an innocent-looking Wartortle.

"I don't think you actually hit Wartortle," May said suddenly.

"And I'm sure you couldn't hurt Absol, either," Drew replied.

"I'm sorry," they said at the same time.

There was an awkward silence. May, as usual, broke it.

"I'll get these dishes done—by hand," she added, giving Wartortle an I'm-gonna-handle-_you_-later look.

Drew gave Absol the same look, and the two kids took the dirty dishes to the nearby stream, leaving their bags on the ground by the table that had been conveniently set up.

Absol and Wartortle frowned in the direction their trainers had left. Now, they had to tell Roserade and Blaziken the bad news. Wartortle gulped at the thought.

Absol and Wartortle sent out the other ten Pokémon; it was time for an emergency meeting.

**

* * *

**

(Translated again)

Roserade instantly assembled the group. "So, how did it go?" it asked.

Absol gestured towards the two. They were helping each other with the dishes. "See for yourself," it said.

Roserade disappeared into the nearby bushes. While it was gone, the others talked amongst themselves.

"Guys, I don't think this is any of our business," Skitty said suddenly.

Flygon stared at it in shock. "What are you _talking _about? Of course it's our business! Why, we're their Pokémon, for crying out loud!"

Before they could argue further, Roserade returned in a huff. "This is ridiculous! They look completely fine," It waved an accusatory bouquet at Wartortle. "_You_ screwed up! They're just as chummy as ever!" it shouted.

Blaziken stepped in front of Roserade. "Now wait just a minute!" it growled. "How do you know it wasn't Absol who messed everything up?"

Butterfree put a wing in front of Roserade's mouth. "Shhhhh! They'll hear!" it hissed.

Venusaur did the same thing to Blaziken, looking at it meaningfully. "We can't fight now. I thought we were all in this together,"  
"Then I say we take a vote," said Arcanine suddenly.

"Vote on what?" Skitty asked excitedly.

"Whether we're going through with this or not," Arcanine answered.  
Masquerain fluttered forward first. "I'm out. They're in love, and it's wrong to tear lovers apart," it said.

"I agree," Beautifly said, flying in circles around Masquerain affectionately.

"Two out. Anyone else?" Roserade asked, giving the two lovers a dirty look, which they ignored.

"I…can't," Butterfree murmured.

Roserade looked at its friend sideways. "Why?" it demanded.

"I just don't want to meddle in other people's business," it said helplessly.

"Besides, they look happy," Skitty said .

"Fine. Four out. Does anyone else have any objections to The Plan?" it asked, looking around the circle.

"Well, I'm in!" Wartortle said excitedly. "Messing with people is fun!"

"Count me in!" Absol agreed, not sounding quite so detached as before.

"Me, too!" said Arcanine. "I want to be in a contest!"

"May belongs with Ash!" Venusaur said.

"The happiness of our masters depends on us!" Flygon said.

"Yeah. When they won't break up, we do it for them," Glaceon agreed.

"Great! Eight for, four against! We have the majority. We're doing this!"

Masquerain and Beautifly cast their eyes down sadly but returned to the group regardless.

"If Plan B doesn't work…" Roserade began.

"…We move on to Plan C…" Blaziken finished.

They high-fived, grinning at each other, and the rest of the group had mixed reactions. They ranged from eager to enraged. However, before anyone could verbalize their emotions, Arcanine, who was the lookout after it voted, barked a warning growl.

The Pokémon sneaked back into their Pokéballs, careful not to make a sound. Roserade settled onto a rock to wait for the arrival of its master and best friend.

"Now, where did Absol and Wartortle go?" asked May curiously.

Drew looked around, too. "Maybe we were too hard on them, May," he said.

Roserade wanted to bang its head against the rock it was sitting on. Great, it'd returned them. Oops.

"Hey, there are their Pokéballs," May said to Drew.

"I wonder how they got in there. I don't remember recalling them before we left…that's strange," Drew muttered.

**

* * *

**

(Back to normal POV—human)

Drew and May left to wash the dishes. Normally, May didn't like doing chores like this, but with Drew, almost anything was fun. He told jokes and funny stories, and it really made the time fly. May couldn't believe it, though; she'd never seen this side of Drew before. He was her rival, a jerk—not a friend.

"So, how was Ash when you saw him?" Drew asked abruptly.

"What's with your sudden interest in Ash, Drew?" May shot back.

"I don't know," he muttered, losing his bravado. "I was just trying to make conversation, I guess,"

"Oh…he was…fine, I guess," May said, blushing.

Drew wanted to drown himself in the stream. She was blushing. Over _him_! She was _supposed _to blush over _Drew_, just like every other girl did. Roserade's words rang through his head. _You like her…don't you? _Maybe so…maybe that was why he was acting so different lately.

"Why are you blushing?" he asked her smugly.

"Uh…no reason," she murmured.

"Oh, all right. You don't have to be so coy about it," he said finally.

"Coy?" she giggled. "Did you just say coy?"

He grinned. "I guess I just did. Do you have a problem with that, May?"

She shook her head, but she was laughing too hard to speak.

"Really, it wasn't _that_ funny," Drew said.

"It's not that! I'm laughing because Ash would've been like, 'What? What does, uh, _coy_, mean?'" She laughed even harder.

Drew forced a smile, but inside, he was breaking. Why couldn't she stop talking about _Ash_? He wasn't even that great!

"Well, would ya look at that? The dishes are done, May," Drew interrupted.

"You're right," she said, standing and brushing herself off. "That was fast,"

"That's what happens when you have a natural entertainer like yours truly helping you out," he said proudly.

May rolled her eyes. "Entertainer?" she demanded. "As Max would say, 'What a weenie!'"

"Whatever. Now, we should go yell at Absol and Wartortle," Drew said.

They returned to the campsite, and May was the first to notice that Wartortle and Absol weren't out. They had probably felt so bad from the reprimanding they'd gotten that they'd hidden in their Pokéballs.

After giving them a fierce tongue-lashing, the pair took down and folded the tent, putting in Drew's backpack. Then, May collapsed the table and sleeping bags. After the site was perfectly clean—just the way Drew had found it, they slung their packs onto their backs, and Drew returned Roserade.

As they walked, they spoke about a variety of things. Mostly, Drew talked about his four ribbons and how he'd encountered a dangerous new coordinator in his contests. Her name was Kelli, and she was just about the toughest he'd ever seen.

Her Ampharos had almost beaten Roserade, and her Charizard was really strong, too. She also possessed a Gorebyss, a Nidoqueen, a Tropius, and a Wormadam.

"She sounds scary," May murmured.

"And yet, she's surprisingly nice outside of battle," Drew replied.

"Hello, kiddies! I'm back!" said a new voice from behind them.

They both whirled around, but they already knew which flamboyant coordinator it was.

"Oh no! It's Harley!" May and Drew said at the same time…

**

* * *

**

A/N: Well, this is getting interesting, don't you agree, imaginary friend? I told you I'd have some OCs...Anyway, sorry for the lateness-and all the errors that you're bound to find. I'll try harder to do an on-time update. So, R&R!


	5. Wonderful Welcomes and Weirdos!

**A/N: **The fluff will come soon. For now, here's some more subtle flirting. Enjoy.****

Disclaimer:

I don't own Pokémon. (I thought I'd just make it simple this time)

* * *

**Previously in **_**What REALLY Happened in Johto…**_

_"Hello, kiddies! I'm back!" said a new voice from behind them._

_They both whirled around, but they already knew which flamboyant coordinator it was._

_"Oh no! It's Harley!" May and Drew said at the same time…_

* * *

**Chapter 5: Wonderous Welcomes and Weird Conversations**

* * *

"That's right! It's yours truly!" he said, clapping his hands. "My precious, darling Pokémon and I just missed you so much!"

Drew rolled his eyes. "Hi, Harley," he said.

Harley ignored Drew. "May, my little sugar plum, my little dear! How are your little boy toys?" he asked.

"Um…" _BOY TOYS?_ "They're fine in Sinnoh," May replied.

"Sinnoh? Really?" Harley asked, his eyes widening.

"Yup,"

"Well, it's been nice talking to you, Harley," Drew interrupted. "Let's go, May," he added.

"Bye, Harley. I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to go powder my nose. Toodles," she said.

Harley growled in the direction they'd left. "Fine, if that's how you want to play it, I will crush you in this contest!" he muttered.

After Harley's little distraction, May and Drew were finally on their way to Violet City, the contest, and the possibility of Drew's fifth or May's third ribbon!

Roserade and the rest of their Pokémon, however, had something planned. It would back track Drew's career a slight bit while it was happening, but it would help him in the long run. Of that it was certain.

"So, back to this Kelli girl. Did she say anything about being in the Violet City contest?" May asked.

"Nope. She already has five ribbons," Drew replied.

May gasped. "Five already? How many contests has she entered?"

"Six. The first one she entered, I creamed her. Before she left that day, she told me that she'd never lose to me again. Then, in the next contest, all of her Pokémon had evolved. She crushed me. And that's why I took a break from contests—and why I decided to get an Arcanine,"

"That's rough," May commented as they continued to walk.

Drew sighed. "I could've been a little better with my training. Especially lately," he admitted.

They walked in silence for awhile, enjoying the fresh air and the exercise.

"Any other Johto threats?" she wanted to know.

"There is this one girl. Her name is Marina. She has a habit of giving her Pokémon nicknames, and she has a Feraligatr, a

Misdreavus, a Jigglypuff, a Mothim, a Flareon, and a Victreebel. She is a pretty formidable rival, and she happens to be one of my biggest fans," Drew said.

"Is she as big as Brianna?" May asked.

"I don't think anyone has ever told me they love me—other than Brianna. So, I'm going to have to say no," Drew said.

May chuckled, but inside she was seething. So, Brianna was the competition. That was fine by May. At least it wasn't Harley in competition with her for Drew. She shuddered at the thought.

"Don't worry, though. I'm still single," he said.

They were quiet for a minute. Then, May noticed something over the hill. They were buildings!

"Look! It's Violet City! Drew, we're almost there!"

"If we run, we'll be there in ten minutes!" he replied, breaking into a sprint.

"Wait for me, Drew!" May cried, running after him.

With that, they ran. Drew felt like his Arcanine, and May's legs were starting to go numb.

************

**

* * *

**

In Violet City…

"Yes! We made it!" May panted. She was bent, and she was currently trying to catch her breath.

"With two whole days to prepare and train," he added.

They slapped a high five. May noticed that he was smiling, and she grinned.

"Drew, you're smiling," she informed him.

His smile instantly faded. "Now I'm not, and you just look dumb,"

"Gee, thanks, Drew," she said sarcastically.

"Let's go register," Drew suggested, changing the subject.

"Good idea," said May.

They entered the Pokémon center that was attached to the contest arena. The Nurse Joy in there greeted the two coordinators politely.

"Hello, and on behalf of the citizens of Violet City, welcome to our contest," she said.

"Thank you!" May said. "Wow, the contests in Johto sure are different than Kanto or Hoenn…" she murmured.

Drew nodded in agreement. Then, he addressed Nurse Joy. "May and I would like to register for the contest," he said.

Nurse Joy nodded. "Let me just see your contest passes, please. Then, I'll register you. And May, it's great to see you're here in Johto now. I heard from my second cousin in Olivine City that you won the contest there. Congratulations,"

"That was only because_ I _didn't enter," Drew said. "I was just taking a breather,"

Joy gave Drew a knowing wink, and Drew began blushing for some reason. May shrugged in response.

"Anyways, you two are both registered. Good luck in the contest. Also, May, there's something here for you. Actually, several things," Nurse Joy handed May a tall stack of letters.

"Thanks," May said, looking at Drew questioningly.

"And here are yours, Drew," Nurse Joy gave Drew a burlap sack full of letters.

Drew grinned. "Thanks. Although, this isn't as many as normal," he said, weighing the bag in his hands.

May scowled. "Show off," she muttered. _I bet he wrote half of those letters to himself, _she thought angrily.

Nurse Joy interrupted May's thoughts. "Here are your room keys. Both of you will be on the second floor, room 35. If you need anything, feel free to ask. Again, good luck in the contest." Nurse Joy put they keys and their contest passes on her desk, gave each coordinator a smile, and walked away.

"Wow, the people here sure are friendly," May commented.

"Violet City is pretty nice," Drew admitted.

Both of them took their passes and room keys off the counter. Before Drew could go and practice, May stopped him.

"Now, I have a few rules," May said.

"Lay 'em on me," Drew replied.

"First, while we're here, you are not to say anything about me to _any_one. I'll do the same for you. We have our reputations to think about," May said.

Drew raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"It means, we may have traveled together, but I don't want people getting the wrong ideas. Mostly, I don't have a death wish,"

"Oh. Brianna," Drew said. "Look, May. She knows we're just rivals,"

"Whatever," May said, sounding a little hurt. "Now, let's go train," With that, she stalked off.

"But what about your other rules?" Drew called after her.

She didn't turn.

Drew sighed, lugging his sack of fan mail up the flight of stairs and down the hall to room 35. He plopped onto his bed and began to read.

_Dear Drew,_

_I am your BIGGEST fan! I love you so much! Someday, we'll get married and…Aaaah, I love your Pokémon and your talent—and your hair! I can't believe I'm actually writing to you! Wow…Please write back, Drew!  
Love, _

_Your future wife: Pamela from Fourtree City xoxoxoxoxoxo_

Drew grinned. There was nothing like an obsessive fan to cheer you up. Then, he sorted through the mail, putting it in four piles: Hate Mail/ Death Threats (there was only one—from…well, there was no name, but he was pretty sure it was Harley), Questions/Comments from other coordinators (there were some about appropriate combinations but not that many), Loving Fan Mail (A lot of that), and Obsessive Fan Mail (there was more of that than even love mail).

Some obsessive fan mail even came with locks of hair, pictures, and phone numbers. Drew mostly kept those (only the letters; the rest was creepy) for when he was feeling worthless. Then, before he could continue with his thoughts, Drew was interrupted by the sound of two attacks colliding. It surprised him, mostly, because his mind was bright enough to figure it out.

_Well duh! It's a contest! _he thought. He listened more closely and realized that it was supposed to be a combination. Sing and Silver Wind, from the sound of it. Well, what a shame. It could've been good with a little work. Must've been a rookie coordinator.

Then, he heard _her_ voice. It was May, and Drew watched from the window as she worked her combination with Skitty and Beautifly. After awhile, though, things started to go wrong. Drew had a pretty good feeling about what was happening, and since May or her Pokémon were not in immediate danger, he decided to watch from the sidelines for now.

* * *

********

**Meanwhile…**

May was fuming because of Drew. How could he be so arrogant? Couldn't he tell that she was trying to hint to him. So, she decided to go over attack combinations for the contest.

What was different about Johto contests was that they used a double appeals round. Meaning, instead of one Pokémon doing the appeals, two of them partake. The coordinator has to come up with a combination of two different Pokémon's attacks. It was a lot more difficult than it sounded.

Then, things began to go awry. Beautifly wasn't doing Silver Wind as well, and each time, the quality of the attack was declining. It wasn't really listening to May anymore, either.

"Beautifly, what's wrong?" May asked Beautifly. It had stopped using Silver Wind completely.

It fluttered its wings weakly. Then, it fell to the ground. Skitty ran over to where it fell, chasing its tail nervously.

"Somebody, help! My Beautifly is hurt!" May called.

Nurse Joy instantly appeared from the Pokémon Center. "What happened?" she demanded.

"I—I don't know! One minute, it was using Silver Wind just fine. Then next…I don't know what happened," said May, petting Beautifly.

Nurse Joy felt the Pokémon's head. "Hmm. It feels fine," She looked more closely, and her eyes softened. "Ah, I know what happened. Beautifly is heartbroken. Did something happen between it and its mate?" she asked.

"I didn't even know Beautifly had a mate," May said in surprise, looking at her Pokémon with newfound pride.

"How couldn't you?" asked a new voice. May didn't even turn.

"So I'm assuming you know, Drew," May said.

"Of course I do. It's really quite simple; Masquerain hasn't been itself lately, either," Drew said.

"Oh," May blushed. "So, Beautifly, you're in love with Masquerain?" she asked her Pokémon.

"_Beauuutifly!" _it cried, already sounding better at the mention of its lover's name.

Drew sent out Masquerain, and Beautifly flapped its wings again, wanting to be with Masquerain.

"Well, I'll leave you. Just call if Beautifly has any more problems," Nurse Joy said dismissively, walking back into the building.

Masquerain circled Beautifly protectively, checking for injuries. Then, the two of them flew over the practice field, still circling each other.

May and Drew sat on a nearby bench, watching their Pokémon with a mixture of surprise, happiness, and sadness. May broke the comfortable silence.

"Drew?"

"Yeah?" He turned to her, and their eyes met. Green on blue.

"Don't you wish people could fall in love that easily?" she asked, blushing.

Drew smiled a genuine smile. "Actually, you'd be surprised," he said.

May blushed even more, smiling at the same time, and Drew felt pretty satisfied because he'd made her squirm, made her rethink loving Ash. That was all that mattered—that was the only goal to this game.

"Well, you two look _cozy_," said another voice from behind them.

May turned abruptly to see Harley's head between hers and Drew's. His green eyes shone with humor, but his eyes were nothing compared to the emerald sparkle May always saw in Drew's.

"Hey, Harley," Drew said without turning around.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Drew. Did I barge in during your pickup line?" Harley asked scornfully. "Don't trust a player like Drew, May. It only leads to heartbreak,"

May frowned at him. "Now you're just jealous that I can travel with Drew, and he didn't offer to take you along," she shot back.

_Wow, May's defending me_, Drew thought, staring at the girl he thought he knew.

"So, you kiddies have fun—but not _too _much fun, if you know what I—"

"We get it, Harley!" May interrupted.

"Fine. I'd love to stay and chat, but my nails are chipping. Toodaloo!" Harley left, shaking his butt as he walked.

May and Drew exchanged a look, rolling their eyes at their rival's antics.

"He sure is something," Drew muttered, taking out his ribbon case. He also took out a polishing cloth and began to methodically go about cleaning his four already pristine ribbons. "Only one more to go," he whispered to himself…

********

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**A/N: **I hope you enjoyed! R&R please! And thanks for bearing with my erratic updating...


	6. Toughness, Training, and Tropius?

**A/N: **Okay, this was a fun chapter to write, but it might hop around a bit. Just saying. Enjoy and R&R…=-D

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Pokémon—or the characters—but I hope the plot is original enough to sort of own…

* * *

_Last time in What REALLY Happened in Johto…_

_"He sure is something," Drew muttered, taking out his ribbon case. He also took out a polishing cloth and began to methodically go about cleaning his four already pristine ribbons. "Only one more to go," he whispered to himself…_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Toughness, Training, and…Tropius?**

* * *

May did the same with her two ribbons, but it just wasn't the same. She cleaned them until they glittered like stars, but it didn't feel good considering she had to watch Drew. He had twice the amount of ribbons May had. It really hurt to see him flaunting them like that, but May knew he didn't mean to show off—that time.

"Nice ribbons," May said, breaking the silence yet again.

Drew smirked. "Jealous?" he sneered.

She frowned briefly. Then, as a question came into her head, May scratched the back of her neck self-consciously. "Do you remember when Brianna asked to shake your hand, Drew?" she asked.

His face turned passive again. "More or less," he said. "Why?"

"It's funny how some people kiss the ground you walk on," she replied. "People like Brianna would give anything to be with you,"

Drew raised an eyebrow. He had no idea where this was going.

"And others, well, we wouldn't even spit on it," May continued.

He winced at the word _we_. Then, Drew cast his eyes down and looked at his reflection in his ribbon case thoughtfully; he was now polishing the front.

"It's funny how that kind of stuff works out, you know? You always end up—crap!" He trailed off with a curse word as a Gust attack blew the silver case out of his hands and into the mud.

May looked up at the sky to see a satisfied-looking Beautifly and a sheepish Masquerain fluttering lower than before. She cracked up.

"Oh, come on, Masquerain! Now I've got to clean my ribbon case all over again!" he said to the sky. Then, he noticed May was laughing. "You think this is funny?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in mock fury.

"That's a definite possibility," she replied, giggling again.

"Well, it _is_ funny!" a new voice said. It sounded young and female. May didn't recognize it, but Drew sure did.

"Kelli," Drew said. "I sure am surprised to see you here,"

The girl named Kelli grinned. She had long, wavy, blonde hair, a good tan, and pretty, violet eyes. Her eyes were framed by long lashes. She had a navy blue tee shirt with a Pokéball design and a dark yellow skirt. She also wore an adorable light blue vest and matching gloves. A Tropius was standing serenely next to her. Kelli was thin and beautiful, and she looked to be about May and Drew's age.

"Well, I just had to come and cheer you on!" said Kelli. Tropius grinned.

Drew and Kelli high fived, and May looked and felt pretty left out. Maybe this girl was the one in the bikini on the beach in Cherrygrove…the one on the magazine cover with Drew…

"And this must be May!" Kelli said enthusiastically, turning to May.

May smiled pleasantly. "That's right. It's nice to finally be meeting you, Kelli," she said.

"Drew has told me a lot about you," Kelli said, looking at a now-blushing Drew meaningfully.

"What kinds of things?" May asked curiously.

"Well, he said—" Kelli began.

Drew cut her off by covering her mouth. "Oh, this and that," he said, blushing furiously.

"All I was going to say was how you said that she's a great coordinator," muttered Kelli. Fortunately, only Drew heard; if May knew that Drew thought she had talent, he'd never live it down.

"What was that, Drew?" asked May. She wasn't mocking him; she actually hadn't caught that brief exchange.

"Nothing, nothing," he said quickly. "Now, I still haven't gotten a chance to train. Masquerain, let's go," Drew said, calling his Pokémon over. He picked up his soiled ribbon case, cleaning forgotten, and fled the scene, waving over his shoulder. "See ya later, May," he called.

May looked after him, frowning in the direction he'd left in. Kelli looked at her, her eyes seeming to be measuring her emotions. They stood in silence for a second.

"So, Kelli, you've got all five ribbons?" May asked.

"Yeah. Even though this is my first time trying contests, my Pokémon and I trained hard—we're still training. I started out going for gym badges in the Kanto region. Then, I got the idea to do contests from watching you and Drew battle in the Grand Festival, front row," she said.

"Wow, I'm honored," May replied. "Drew was also the one who inspired me to be a coordinator. I'm happy to say that he and I have been rivals for awhile now,"

"Really? That's not how Drew explained it, but I'm not getting into that," said Kelli, frowning in the direction Drew had left.

"Sounds to me like you two are close," May said.

"We met in Azalea Town, at about the same time as he got his Arcanine. We battled in the finals of that contest—which was my first contest—and he beat me. Well, actually, he creamed me. Ever since then, I've made a vow never to lose to Drew ever again,"

"Wow. It's tough, losing in your first contest like that," May said, her blue eyes glowing with understanding.

"Yeah. So, I want you to crush him in this contest, understand?" Kelli asked. "We might be friends, but I want him taken down a peg, if you know what I mean,"

May's pretty face became determined, and Kelli couldn't help but chuckle a little as May said,

"Got it!"

Kelli's face turned into a gorgeous smile. "Well, good luck then," she said, making her way back to the Pokémon Center.

"See you tomorrow," May replied.

With that, May trained with her Pokémon until the sun began to sink over the contest hall. The sky darkened, and finally, May called back her Pokémon, praising them on their hard work. Then, she walked back to the center.

She got into her room, and Drew was already in there. He was sitting on his bed, looking out the window, lost in thought. He was holding a Pokéball.

"Hey, Drew," May said to him.

Drew looked up. "Oh, hi, May," he replied, turning back to the window.

"I'm glad you're not asleep yet. I was just wondering something," she said, sitting on her own bed. May began to take off her shoes.

Drew turned to her on his bed, propping his head up with an elbow, his hair and eyes looking just as shiny, even in the near darkness.

"What's up?" he asked her.

May was both pleased and taken aback by the sudden proximity. His face was so close to hers, she could barely formulate a sentence.

"I was…um, just wondering about Kelli," she said.

"What about her?" Drew asked, meeting her eyes.

"Well, since you were…blushing so much…I was wondering if you…liked her," May whispered.

Drew chuckled. "I'm not into Kelli. I like someone else, of course," He flipped his hair while somehow staying close to May.

"Who?" May asked, suddenly hopeful.  
"I think that's enough questions for one night. Goodnight, May," Drew was suddenly very happy that it was too dark for her to see his blush.

"Goodnight, Drew," May replied, closing her eyes. She was asleep in seconds.

Drew wished he was so lucky. He sat back in the chair facing the window, feeling only slightly calmer. He smiled as he listened to May's soft breathing. It made him feel safe somehow; if he knew she was breathing easy, he could, too.

Unfortunately, he was too busy thinking about his earlier conversation—well, fight really—with Roserade. It seemed as though it was becoming more disobedient and disrespectful by the minute.

After training, it had just burst out of its Pokéball, saying all sorts of things about Drew losing sight of what was important. However, Drew valued his partner's opinion (which was surprising, considering he didn't value anyone else's).

He didn't know what to do about it, but he simply tried to ignore it. That seemed like a good idea at the time. But that he was trying to get to sleep, Drew couldn't stop thinking about it.

Sighing, he put on his pajamas and plopped onto his bed, still thinking. As he slept, his dreams turned into a river, just like the one he and May had fallen into, and suddenly, he felt as though he was falling down a waterfall, landing with a—

SPLASH!

Drew felt some ice cold, wet liquid splatter onto his face. It was water. Someone had just thrown a bucket of water onto his head.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," a beautiful voice said cheerily.

Drew was disoriented for a moment as he opened his eyes. The sun was leaking through the open window, and it blinded him briefly. Then, once the spots faded from his vision, Drew glared at his attacker.

"Hey! What was that for?" he demanded. He looked at the clock on his nightstand. It said five o'clock. He rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Just thought you'd want to get an early start," May said, hoisting another bucket of water over her shoulder.

"Wait! No! I'm—" She dumped more water onto his head. "—awake," he finished, blinking water from his eyes. It was ice cold, too. Great.

"Oops. I slipped," she said, offering her hand.

Drew took it hesitantly, in case this was another trick.

"Sorry about the rude awakening," May said. "I guess I was getting you back for…well, when you woke me up at five yesterday, I suppose,"

"It's fine," He shook his hair, sending droplets of water across the sunlit room, and May wanted to swoon. "I'm just happy you had your fun," He took the now-soaked blankets off of his bed, pulling off the pillow case and his shirt, too. He hung them up on the clothesline that was outside the window, smiling as they dripped on some random passerby.

"So, more training today, I suppose?" May asked, grabbing a comb from her bag and trying to ignore the fact that the very sculpted Drew wasn't wearing a shirt.

Drew hadn't noticed before that all May was wearing was a towel. He blushed, and May raised an eyebrow but continued to brush her hair, wincing as it caught in some knots.

"I guess," Drew replied, picking up his soap and shampoo. He walked into the adjacent bathroom. Then, he turned. "If you flush the toilet while I'm showering…" He shook his fist at her.

May giggled as his toned arm flexed but crossed her heart regardless. "No flushing, scout's honor," she said, grinning.

He nodded and went to take a shower, flipping his hair again. "Well, if you say so, May," he said, closing the door behind him. May heard the water running a short time after.

She sighed and sat on the chair Drew had occupied the night before. There was a Pokéball sitting on the windowsill, and May was curious about whose it was. She knew that it belonged to Drew, but which of his six Pokémon was inside? It opened, as if responding to May's thoughts. Roserade materialized in white light.

"Rose?" it said, cocking its head to one side. It lifted a bouquet, and when it recognized May, its eyes narrowed.

"Hi, Roserade. Why were you on the windowsill? Enjoying the stars?" May asked.

Roserade shrugged helplessly.

"Drew seems…odd this morning," May whispered to it. "Do you know why? I mean, there's one more day to train for the contest, and today's the day the other coordinators are going to show up,"

Roserade nodded.

Then, before May could respond, the water turned off. May sighed and put Roserade back into its Pokéball, saying,

"I'll talk to you later," She quickly replaced it onto the sill, exactly where Drew had left it.

"Well, that was refreshing," Drew said, walking out of the bathroom. He was already fully clothed, and his hair was still a little damp. He shook it again, knowing it would make May blush.

"Good," May said, still trying to stop herself from blushing.

"So, we should get some breakfast," he suggested.

"You're right," May had already gotten dressed (in a ladylike manner, closing the window first, of course) while she had been conversing with Roserade.

May put on her phanny pack, and Drew put his Pokéballs (including Roserade's) onto his belt. Both coordinators slipped on their shoes and socks and left the room, making sure everything was neat first.

At breakfast, May and Drew met up with Kelli again, and the three of them ate together. The food was good, but in May's opinion, Drew was a better cook. She kept looking across the table at Drew. He wasn't eating, and he had only picked up a single pancake, no maple syrup.

"Drew? Is something wrong?" May asked.

Drew looked up from his meal. "No. Why?"

"You haven't touched your food," she said. Her blue eyes shone with concern.

Kelli stopped stuffing her face (she loved to eat almost as much as May did) to look at Drew knowingly.

Drew blushed at her, and May said,

"Hah! See? You do blush around Kelli! You _do_ like her!" She grinned triumphantly.

Drew rolled his eyes at the other coordinator.

Kelli made retching noises and pretended to choke on her cereal. "Him? Like me? That's disgusting!" she said.

"Aw! Let a girl dream! Everyone loves a cheating scandal!" said another voice. It was Harley, of course. "Hi, kiddies. Can I sit? Oh, and Kelli, sweetie, you're looking…good,"

"Thanks, Harley," Kelli said. It was obvious Kelli was already wise to Harley's tricks and creepiness.

"Touchy, touchy!" he said, putting a hand on his heart.

May and Drew looked at each other. Then, they looked at Harley.

"Well, Harley?" May asked.

He turned to May. His green Cacturne hat was shadowing his face, giving him a sinister look.

"What is it, May, hon?" he asked.

Drew answered for her. "Aren't you going to sit down?" he asked, patting the spot next to him.

Harley's eyes narrowed, but he sat next to Drew regardless, keeping his distance. Every so often, Harley would look at Drew. In response, Drew would give the purple-haired coordinator a dirty look.

"So, are you excited for the contest?" Harley asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Drew spoke first. "I'm going to get my fifth ribbon," he said coolly.

"What about you, May?" Harley turned to look at May.

May stopped eating with a piece of egg inches from her lips. Frowning, she responded to Harley.

"I'm gonna win," she said simply, popping the egg into her mouth. It wasn't as good as when Drew made it.

Harley shook his head and looked to Kelli. "Don't you have all five ribbons already, sweetie?" he asked her.

Kelli smiled at this, as if she thought it was funny. "I just had to come to watch. Drew's love life depended on it," she said, imitating Drew's cool tone.

Drew gave Kelli a death glare at the mention of his love life. Fortunately, May was too busy eating to notice.

Harley noticed and grinned. "Sounds to me like your relationship is in danger, Drew. Maybe you should see a marriage counselor," he suggested.

Drew's blush was unmistakable, and it got redder when May stopped eating and noticed.

"Wait, I'm lost. What were we talking about?" she demanded, the fork stopped halfway to her mouth.

"Um…" For the first time, Drew had nothing to say.

"Contest ribbons," Kelli supplied.

Drew gave her a grateful smile, and she shrugged, conveying a message of, _I know, I'm just cool like that._

"How many do you have, May?" Kelli asked, resuming the conversation effortlessly.

May took out her ribbon case, eating forgotten. "I have two!" she bragged, opening it to show Kelli.

"Funny, you have half the amount of ribbons I have," Drew said, grinning at her, knowing it would drive her crazy.  
May rolled her eyes. He was such a jerk sometimes, but the way his eyes gleamed…and his shiny, perfect hair…she remembered seeing him shirtless…she blushed.

Kelli raised an eyebrow. Her plan to get them together was apparently working to perfection. She already knew how Drew felt, but the question was: did May feel the same way?

**

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A/N:

And it gets even more twisted…By the way, this was my longest chapter yet! Next up…Chapter 7: the CONTEST! Yay! Remember, I'm an erratic updater. As always…_Please show your love by reviewing! XD _


	7. Elegance, Embarrassment, and Excitement!

**A/N: **Hello, faithful readers…

Okay, I feel terrible! I'm soooooooo sorry for taking forever to update! D-': Omg… I just got _really_ distracted, and it seemed like every time I tried to work on it, _something _got in the way!

I'm sorry if I can't write the best battles, but even so this will probably be one of the funniest contests you've ever read (so I hope). Also, this might skip a bit…R&R and enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Pokémon.

* * *

_Last time in What REALLY Happened in Johto…_

_Kelli raised an eyebrow. Her plan to get them together was apparently working to perfection. She already knew how Drew felt, but the question was: did May feel the same way?_

**

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**

Chapter 7: Elegance, Embarrassment, and Excitement!

Today was finally the day, the day of the Violet City contest! It was time for Drew's long-awaited fifth ribbon. He _would_ win that ribbon. He'd show Roserade that he knew what was important.

Thinking about Roserade got him thinking about roses, and that inevitably got him thinking about May and what she'd said last night about him liking Kelli. It hurt to have her think that because Drew had thought it was obvious that he had feelings for someone else.

Despite a common misconception and rumor, Drew had no romantic feelings for Kelli whatsoever. That would be weird and pointless, considering they had traveled together, and she had revealed her feelings for Trent, a powerful trainer with seven badges—and a complete jerk and loser; he and Drew had met, and they hadn't exactly hit it off.

So, Drew woke up that morning in the Pokémon Center excited and wide awake. He looked at May's sleeping form and debated on whether or not to wake her up from her peaceful slumber. Finally, he decided against it; he just wasn't in that mean of a mood today, which deeply disturbed him.

He went into the lobby to see a few other coordinators milling about. The contest was to start at noon. Drew looked at the clock on his Pokénav. It was six thirty. Great, that left five and a half hours to do…? Maybe he should've made May wake up; she'd know what to do.

As if his thoughts had beckoned her, May scampered down the stairs excitedly. She waved at Drew, grinning.

"Drew, why didn't you wake me up?" she demanded as she walked over to him.

"Well, I don't particularly want another face-full of water tomorrow," Drew replied dryly. "Good morning to you, too, May," he added just to bug her.

"I was about to say that!" May said indignantly, folding her arms. Then, as if she couldn't stay mad, she looked up innocently. "Good morning, Drew," she said, smiling sheepishly.

"That's what I want to hear. Now, do you want to get some breakfast?" he asked. He was only asking to make conversation, though; if May wasn't hungry, Drew would've been really worried.

"That sounds great! I'm starving!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Aren't you always starving?" he asked, raising a sarcastic eyebrow. With that, the pair walked to the cafeteria.

The two were eating in silence until May finished. She swallowed the rest of her eggs, and Drew watched from across the table as May cleared her throat, making a square with her thumb and index finger on both hands. Drew could already tell what she was about to do, so he swallowed his own food in a gulp so as not to choke on it once she began.

"And May's Expedition has picked up a new member: Drew from LaRousse City in Hoenn!" She turned to Drew. "Would you, my good sir, care to say something to the viewing audience at home?" she asked, shoving an imaginary microphone into his face.

"Yeah, actually I would," he said, taking the nonexistent mike.

May turned to him and grinned expectantly, happy he was playing her little game.

He took a deep breath and said, "I'm eating. That is all," He handed May her "microphone" back, and then, as if to prove his point, he took a swig of orange juice, wincing as the taste collided with his minty toothpaste. _Oops, _he thought.

She didn't seem to notice his wince, as she was moping and pouting. "That's not fair," she whined. "In May's Expedition, everyone has to be a happy camper!"

"I didn't know I was even a part of May's Expedition," Drew said absently, doodling boredly on a napkin.

May ignored Drew's comment. "_Ash _would've said something for the camera," she muttered.

Drew winced again, but it had nothing to do with mixing toothpaste and orange juice. He just hated the reverence with which May spoke about Ash.

"Well, you two are up early," said a cheery Nurse Joy as she brought out the bill.

"That we are," Drew agreed, just about ready to give her his credit card.

May slapped her card right on top. "I ate the most food, Drew! I want to pay,"

Drew rolled his eyes and replaced his credit card onto the bill. "Don't be dumb, May. I'm paying,"

"I said I was going to pay, and I am!" she said, putting her card back on top. She stuck her tongue out at Drew.

"May, I've got it," he said, as if talking to a young child. He offered Nurse Joy his own card, looking at her meaningfully.

"Don't take it, Nurse Joy! I'm paying for breakfast!" She turned to Drew and pointed at him. "_You _paid for breakfast yesterday, so _I'm_ paying for it today!" she insisted.

Drew calmly put his hand on her arm, lowering the other coordinator's finger. "It's rude to point," he said, still offering his credit card to the Pokémon doctor.

Nurse Joy held up her hands, as if fending off blows, not taking either card. "You kids fight like an old couple," she said tiredly. Then, she smiled pleasantly. "Just take a free breakfast today. Consider it a good-luck gift,"

May and Drew looked at each other disgustedly at the "old couple" remark. May was glowering and pouting at the same time, and Drew was smirking.

"Just go!" Nurse Joy said, finally losing her patience.

Both kids shrugged and left, bickering about who should've paid the check all the way back to the room they shared.

**

* * *

**

Later That Day…

May was nervously awaiting the beginning of the contest, sitting on the bench in the locker room of the contest hall. She gulped as she heard Jillian Meridian's voice over the loudspeaker. Jillian was Lillian and Vivian Meridian's sister and the announcer for the Johto contests. She came out onto the stage wearing a brown mini dress with one sleeve. She had a dark purple scarf around her neck and dark brown boots

"Hello, contest fans, and welcome to Violet City! I'm Jillian Meridian, your announcer for this event. We have a stunning array of talented coordinators and beautiful Pokémon. And, of course, we have our three amazing judges. First, we have Mr. Contesta!"

"It's great to be here in Johto!" said the gray-haired man, waving to the crowd.

"Next, we have the head of the Pokémon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo!"

"Remarkable!" the man of few words said.

"And, of course, we have Violet City's very own Nurse Joy!" said Jillian excitedly.

"From the people I've seen check in, I can honestly say that promises to be a star-studded and high-level contest," Nurse Joy said, smiling pleasantly.

"And so, without further adieu, let's begin the appeals round! Our first competitor is all the way from the Sinnoh region! Please give a warm, Johto welcome to…Emilee from Canalave City!" said Jillian.

A girl about Max's age entered the stage. She was pretty in a studious way. She wore a simple pair of jeans with a tight-fitting grey polo shirt. She had brown hair with grey streaks and shining, intelligent, silver eyes.

"Go! Empoleon and Lairon!" she said.

May blinked. _Well, looks can be deceiving_, she reasoned as Emilee launched into her appeal. She used the power of her Pokémon well, and the attacks usually ended in something shiny.

"Scared, hon?" asked a new voice. It was Harley's, and she gulped a little bit.

"Hey, Harley," May said, looking more than a little creeped out.

"May, dear, I'd hate to tell you this, but…" His hat shadowed his face ominously. "I'm going to trounce you in this contest!"

"Whatever floats your boat, Harley. You just keep thinking that," May said, walking away.

Harley clenched his fists, pulling something from his pocket. It was a doll—of May. He took out some pins and stabbed the figurine repeatedly.

"Damn it!" he spat. "Why isn't this voodoo doll working?" He threw it to the ground and stepped on it. Then, he turned his attention to the screen. The Emilee person was just finishing her appeal.

"And thank you, Emilee! Next up, we have an old favorite from Hoenn: Harley from Slateport City!" Jillian said.

Harley took a deep breath and plastered his most flamboyant smile onto his face. He skipped on stage. Good thing he'd picked out which Pokémon to use yesterday.

"Octillery, Cacturne, darlings, it's time to come out and play!" he said excitedly. "Octillery, deary, use Octazooka! Cacturne, use your Needle Arm!"

Harley watched with satisfaction as the Octazooka attack exploded on contact with Cacturne's Needle Arm, sending glowing shards around his Pokémon.

_Perfect_, he thought. _Let's see little May top _that _appeal!_

* * *

"So, Drew, you're next, huh?" May asked.

Drew nodded. "This'll be a snap," he said. "Although, I'd be worried if I were you, May," he added as an afterthought.

May instantly flared up, but before she could say anything, Jillian announced,

"And now, here all the way from LaRousse City in Hoenn, we have Drew!"

"Well, that's me. Now you can watch and see what a _real_ double appeal looks like," With that, Drew sauntered from the locker room, leaving May to do nothing but glare in the direction he'd left in, wishing she could've thought of an insult.

* * *

_I can do this, _Drew thought. _I've got this._

He entered the stage to the sounds of people cheering incredibly loudly. They were already chanting his name, and he hadn't even started yet.

"Butterfree, Masquerain, let's go!" he said. Last night, it had hit him: Masquerain and Butterfree could counter each other's attacks perfectly because they were the same type. However, he'd taught them a few tricks just in case.

"And Drew chooses two bug Pokémon. I wonder what he's got planned for us today!" Jillian said. The crowd had gone silent, all anticipating his appeal.

"Masquerain, use Ominous Wind! Butterfree, use Psybeam to control it!"

The purple wind revolved around Masquerain like fog, completely shadowing the entire field. But Butterfree had somehow disappeared in the attack. Then, suddenly, the Butterfly Pokémon burst from inside it, diffusing it into a dark, glowing haze with Psybeam.

"Now, Masquerain, use your Ice Beam attack!"

Drew had actually gotten inspired to teach Masquerain Ice Beam when he'd seen Brianna's appeal back in Chrysanthemum Island.

Masquerain spun, encasing Butterfree in a clear dome of ice. Perfect. Then, it used Silver Wind in a circle for extra appeal. The silvery scales fell delicately to the ground, causing the crowd to be entranced. Finally, Masquerain settled on top of the ice, ready for the next part of the appeal.

"Now, Butterfree!" Drew ordered, knowing from his practice that Butterfree could still hear.

Butterfree used Bug Buzz to shatter the ice, sending Masquerain upward. As it flew up, the Eyeball Pokémon let loose a Stun Spore for good measure. The ice turned into beautiful, sparkling shards that rained down as Drew's Pokémon fluttered through the sky in a choreographed formation. Then, they each took a loop-de-loop bow, and both landed gently on one of Drew's shoulders—Butterfree on the left, Masquerain on the right.

Mr. Contesta spoke. "What an elegant display of a Pokémon's beauty!"

Mr. Sukizo looked shocked for a minute. "That…that was better than remarkable! It was…_very _remarkable!" he said.

"That was amazing, a real sight to see…I'm choking up!" Nurse Joy said.

Jillian wiped a tear from her eyes. "Th-thank you, Drew. That was an outstanding performance," she said.

The crowd erupted in cheers, and Drew smirked. He'd definitely done well. He flipped his hair once for the ladies, and with that, walked out, his two Pokémon flying after him.

"Next up is May from Petalburg City," said Jillian over the cheering.

Drew brushed past May on his way back to the locker room.

"You did great, Drew," the coordinator said, her sapphire eyes shining.

Drew flipped his hair. "Well, it's going to be a tough act to follow, that's for sure," he said smugly.

"I hope you'll be watching because you'll be able to see us shine out there!" May said huffily. Then, she stuck her tongue out at him and walked away.

Drew smirked. Boy, did he love to get under her skin. Then, her turned to the monitor to watch her appeal.

* * *

May knew that Drew was watching, and she also knew that he'd set the bar _really_ high. The audience was already psyched, which meant she had to give an even better performance.

"Go, Wartortle and Skitty!" she said.

Her two Pokémon appeared, excited and raring to go—and adorable, of course.

"Okay, Wartortle, use Gyro Ball!" May ordered. Wartortle glowed grey, entering its shell. "Now, Skitty, hit it with your Iron Tail!" she said.

She watched, satisfied, as Skitty hit Wartortle around with its tail, looking like a giant, glowing game of soccer. Finally, May said,

"Wartortle, use Water Gun! Skitty, Assist!"

Just as May had hoped, Skitty's Assist became Blaziken's Sky Uppercut. It was perfect! As Wartortle spun, Skitty's tail came up to meet it, sending it flying through the air, spinning perfectly and launching a beautiful display of water above a now-silent crowd.

"Skitty, use Swift! Wartortle, use Aqua tail," May said. This was her finishing act—the one to leave the audience and judges with a great impression.

Wartortle fell with the perfect amount of speed, giving it just enough time to point its tail downward—exactly as they'd practiced. Skitty's Swift collided with the Aqua Tail directly above itself, causing a shimmering, rainbow mist to rain down on it. Wartortle stuck its landing onto its tail, and the crowd cheered.

"What a great way to showcase Skitty's new moveset!" said Mr. Contesta.

"How remarkably adorable!" Mr. Sukizo exclaimed.

"That was really cute. I especially liked the Aqua Tail and Swift combination. Great job!" Nurse Joy said.

A few more coordinators went on with their double appeals, and soon, Jillian announced that it was the end of the appeals round.

On the display were all the advancing coordinators. Harley, Emilee, May, and Drew had all made it to the next round—along with twelve other coordinators.

Then, the monitor's screen changed, and lines were drawn between the pictures of coordinators. There was a blue line between Harley and Emilee. There was also one between May and Drew.

May turned to her rival, whose eyes were focusing intently on the display in the locker room. "So, you're my tag partner?" she asked.

He nodded. "You'd better not mess me up, May," he said absently.

In Johto, contests were a little different than in Kanto, Sinnoh, or Hoenn. For one thing, they used a double appeal system. Moreover, the top sixteen coordinators partake in a tag-style battle round. Each coordinator is paired with a partner. If they win all the way to the finals, the tag team must battle each other. So, in other words, they're turned against each other in the end.

"I won't," May promised him.

And it was true. They'd crushed their first and second competitor teams without even taking any damage. May and Drew were so in sync. They made an excellent team.

Jillian picked up on this, just as her sisters had, and it made her very smug—and happy that this contest could possibly result in the two of them seeing something in each other—other than a mutual respect.

"And now, it's time for the semifinal! It's Harley from Slateport City and Emilee from Canalave City versus two Hoenn natives—May from Petalburg City and Drew from LaRousse City. Five minutes are on the clock…and go!" she exclaimed.

"I choose…Venusaur!" May said.

"Steelix, go!" Emilee said.

"Ariados, let's play with our friends!" said Harley.

"Come on out, Arcanine," Drew said.

The Pokémon were all ready to battle, and they assembled in their respective corners, awaiting their masters' commands.

"Okay, Steelix, use Iron Tail on Venusaur!" Emilee ordered.

"Arcanine, counter it with Flame Wheel!" Drew said instantly.

"Oh no you don't!" Harley said, cackling. "Ariados, Spider Web!"

"Venusaur, cut up that attack with Razor Leaf!" May said.

May and Drew watched as their Pokémon did as told. They took a moment to grin at each other; they were perfectly able protect each other and cover up weaknesses. The other team's points dropped.

"Hey, May, how about we finish this up?" Drew asked casually.

"Yeah. That sounds fine," May replied just as indifferently.

"Arcanine, hit Ariados with Fire Blast!" Drew ordered.

"Venusaur, use Petal Dance on Steelix!" May commanded.

"Ariados, jump!" Harley said frantically. "I'm not about to get beaten by you two little pipsqueaks!" he shouted.

Even though the attacks didn't hit, the flames from Arcanine's Fire Blast still made a gorgeous circle around a terrified Ariados, so Harley and Emilee's points dropped again. They had now lost a quarter of their points, and it had barely been a minute.

"Steelix, go underground," said Emilee calmly.

The giant steel type did as told, and May gulped. She looked to Drew, who seemed to be thinking the same thing; either Arcanine or Venusaur could've been the target of the attack.

"Be ready," she whispered to her Pokémon.

"Ariados, use Poison Sting!" Harley said suddenly.

"Arcanine, use Flamethrower!" Drew said.

Arcanine's attack instantly burned up Ariados's Poison Sting, causing Harley and Emilee's points to drop. Ariados also got hit.

Harley stared in horror. "No! My precious darling!" he cried.

"Now!" Emilee said, ignoring her partner's tantrum.

The ground shook, and May had an idea. "Venusaur, use Frenzy Plant!" she said. She'd been saving that move, the ultimate grass-type move, for a time like this.

The plants came up through the ground, half entangling a newly charred Ariados, the other half all over Steelix, whose Dig had been useless in the end.

Three red Xs appeared on the judges' monitors. That was it, then. May and Drew were going on to the finals. Their pictures appeared on the screen.

"Ariados and Steelix are unable to battle. That means that May and Drew will be moving on to the final round of this contest!" Jillian said.

May and Drew high-fived, and Arcanine and Venusaur high-vine/pawed.

"Yes! We did it!" May said happily.

Drew didn't smile quite as much, but he looked pretty happy. Then, his small smile faded.

"Now _we_ have to battle," he said as if May didn't know it. "But in the end, I'll win," he whispered.

_It's time for ribbon number five, _he thought.

"And now…let the final battle round of the Violet City contest begin!" Jillian said. "Five minutes are on the clock,"

"Blaziken, Beautifly! Go!" May said.

"Absol and Roserade, let's make this fast!" Drew said.

"Well, this is sure to be an exciting battle! Now, let's begin!" Jillian exclaimed.

"Okay, Blaziken, use Fire Spin on Roserade! Beautifly, use Silver Wind on Absol!" May ordered.

"Absol, tear up the attack with Razor Wind," Drew said confidently.

The fiery attack was hurtling towards Roserade, and Absol still hadn't used its attack. _What is it doing?_ Drew thought angrily. Instead of pushing Absol to attack, he focused his attention on his trusty partner.

"Dodge, Roserade," he said.

Roserade stayed stalk still, and the Fire Spin was still coming. Was it scared? Impossible! This was _Drew's _Roserade, after all!

"Absol, come on! Use Razor Wind!" Drew said.

_"Absol!"_ it said. (That was Poké-language for "okay…")

It turned around and used Razor Wind, all right, but it was headed straight for Drew. Drew ducked just in time, and he felt the intense attack whiz right by his head. He saw a few green hairs fall to the ground.

_And _that_'s for yelling at me when I was trying my best to learn it! _Absol thought, satisfied, as Drew began to boil.

"What's this? Drew's Pokémon aren't following his orders…" said Jillian. The crowd had fallen silent, but Drew had a feeling it wasn't because he was doing extremely well.

He looked at May, and she looked just as confused as he was. Then, she became angry as the attacks collided with Drew's Pokémon (they still hadn't moved).

She looked like she wanted to say something, but instead she just put on a determined expression. She'd talk to him later.

"Okay, Blaziken, use Sky Uppercut on Absol! Beautifly, use Psychic on Roserade!" May said.

She watched as Drew "attempted" to get his Pokémon to listen, to do _something_ other than stand there. She didn't believe the act for a minute.

But it was too late, anyway. Blaziken's attack collided with Absol, knocking it into the wall. Beautifly's Psychic lifted Roserade into the air, slamming it to the ground.

Three red Xs materialized on the screen, and Drew's points had dropped to zero. May looked at the clock. It had only been two minutes.

Jillian was stunned for a moment (as was the entire group of spectators—and Drew). Then, she regained her composure and said,

"And the winner of the Violet City Pokémon contest is May from Petalburg City! Congratulations on your victory. Mr. Contesta will now present you with your ribbon in commemoration of your win,"

May took the ribbon with shaking, angry hands. So, that's how he wanted to play it, huh? Then that was fine. She watched out of the corner of her eye as _he_ left the stage.

The second the contest was over, May stomped to the locker room where she knew that Drew would be.

She pointed an accusatory finger at her rival. It shook in her rage. "You—you JERK!" she bellowed.

Drew said nothing, his head cast down in disappointment in his defeat. He was furious with his Pokémon, and he knew now that they had been planning this all along.

"I can't believe you did that!" May shouted, interrupting Drew's thoughts. "Do you know how rude that is? You think I can't win by myself, huh?"

"I never said that," he snapped, standing up.

"Then why did you blow the contest?" she demanded.

"I don't—"

May cut him off with an angry wave of her hand. "And I don't want any of your stupid excuses, Drew! What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? You ask me a question and then you don't even give me a chance to answer you!" he yelled. That was probably the first time he'd yelled at May in a long time. The last time he'd yelled at her was for being so gullible.

Angry tears were running down her cheeks, and her body quivered with both fury and sobs. "There is _nothing_ I hate more than someone blowing something for my sake!" she said, her voice menacingly quiet.

"I didn't blow the contest; my Pokémon did!" Drew argued.

"Then I—I…I hate your Pokémon!" May said. "And you're the one who raised them—so…so…I _hate_ you!" With that, she sprinted from the locker room, tears running furiously down her cheeks. May hadn't even waited for Drew's answer.

Drew collapsed onto the bench, head in hands, and for the first time in years, he cried.

* * *

**A/N:** Why do all the stories I make have to be saaaad? Oh…and this chapter and the OC of Emilee is dedicated to my friend…Emily. So, there you go. I'm sorry I didn't update in _forever!_ And don't worry, this'll be happy—eventually…And, tell me if you loved it, hated it, or if you have any suggestions. Review! Please... XD

Buh-bye for now!


	8. Get Over It!

**A/N: **I have absolutely no idea why I had to turn it this way—I guess it was kind of inevitable, though. Oh well…this one is more Drew-torture than May-torture, but it's got some sweet moments…I guess. Enjoy anyway...and I'm sorry it's so short!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Pokémon.

* * *

_Last time in What REALLY Happened in Johto…_

_"Then I—I…I hate your Pokémon!" May said. "And you're the one who raised them—so…so…I hate you!" With that, she sprinted from the locker room, tears running furiously down her cheeks. May hadn't even waited for Drew's answer._

_Drew collapsed onto the bench, head in hands, and for the first time in years, he cried…_

* * *

**Chapter 8: Get Over It!**

Drew didn't know how long he'd wept in the locker room. He was pretty sure it was the longest he'd ever done so. After all, _the_ Drew does NOT cry.

_And yet you did, _he thought angrily. _How _pathetic_._ He ran his hands through his now-tangled hair, forcing a smirk onto his face. He had to leave Violet City. He had to train—if his Pokémon still listened to him.

"Next time, it'll be different," Drew whispered—the same thing he'd whispered the last time he'd cried. Except, this time, his voice cracked.

He lifted himself off the cold bench (although the seat was now warm from his time on it), wincing as his stiff muscles protested. By this time, the crowd at the contest hall had dispersed. It was quiet now, the perfect time for a getaway without people seeing the tearstains on his cheeks.

* * *

The words May had said to her rival rang through her head. She didn't know why she'd said she hated Drew, but at the time, she did…She still did.

She was running from the Contest Hall, almost tripping a few times. The way he'd looked when she told him she hated him—it looked like she'd punched him…or shaved his head.

Then, because she hadn't been looking, she bumped into something—well, it was probably a some_one_, judging by the "oof" the object produced upon impact with May.

"Do you mind?" said the voice. May instantly recognized it as the coordinator named Emilee.

"I'm sorry," May apologized instantly, lifting her head to look at the younger girl. Emilee's eyes widened from behind her glasses as she identified May.

"Oh, no, Miss May, _I'_m sorry. It was incredibly rude of me to crash into you. I'm a big fan—ever since I saw you participate in the Wallace Cup in Sinnoh," said the girl. May was surprised about how similar Emilee was to Max.

"You saw me in the Wallace Cup?" May asked, taken aback.

Her glasses glinted in the sunlight, making her look even more like Max. "Yeah! I watched front row—and I took some high-definition video. You and your Glaceon lost to a rookie with a Piplup!" she said excitedly.

May rolled her eyes inwardly. Yes, this girl could've been Max's twin—which would've been strange, considering May was Max's sister.

* * *

Drew sat on a rock at the top of a hill and stared into the distance. He needed a break from contests, he decided. He needed some time away from the stage to reanalyze why he'd become a coordinator in the first place—and to figure out if he wanted to continue. The blatant disobedience of his formerly most loyal Pokémon was not only embarrassing (and a personal insult), but it was also—to Drew, at least—a sign that maybe contests weren't his thing, that maybe he'd be better in gym battles…or not battling at all…

_And what about May? _his heart asked. _What am I going to do about _her_?_

_Forget! _his head replied. _Get over it, and get over her!_

Why did it have to be so hard to do, though? Why couldn't he just stop thinking about her? Why not just stop saying and thinking her name altogether?

So, he sat, thinking about why Roserade had broken his heart.

* * *

"What happened? Why didn't Drew's Pokémon listen to him?" Emilee asked, her gray eyes curious.

"I don't know," May said, turning away. She knew exactly why; Drew didn't think that May could win a contest on her own, so he'd told his Pokémon to blow the contest.

"Oh, well congrats anyway on your third ribbon," said Emilee, sensing that it was better not to pry.

"Thanks," May replied, walking away. The second she had turned around, the tears returned, and she ran toward the hills.

Drew's thoughts were interrupted by his Pokénav ringing. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Kelli.

"Hello?" he asked.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?" she shrieked.

Drew held the Pokénav away from his ear. "Do you mind _not_ destroying the thin and delicate membrane that is my eardrum?" he demanded.

"You blew the contest! Why? I know you love her, but that is no reason to purposely lose the contest! Do you know how rude that is?" Kelli demanded, her voice becoming only slightly softer.

Drew once again protested. "Seriously, Kelli. I am in actual pain here, and you're not making it any better," he snarled. Then, his voice became soft as he remembered what had happened. "I didn't even get a chance to tell her how I feel," he murmured.

"Well, it serves you right! I always knew that your arrogance would catch up to you and bite you in the butt in the end!" she growled. Her voice was still painfully loud.

"Yeah, that coming from the girl who first entered a contest saying, 'Hi, I'm Kelli. In case you didn't know, that's K-E-L-L-I—not Y!'," Drew retorted coolly. He was only trying to rile her up so she'd drop the topic of his pathetic love life.

"I thought we weren't going to mention that. Besides, I can't help the way my name is spelled!" she argued, instantly taking the bait.

"Yeah, but you_ can _help the way you present yourself, Kelli," Drew said smugly.

"Why you! I know what you're trying to do! You're trying to make me stop talking about you—even though that's what I even called you about!" she said.

"Wow, I thought you'd never figure it out," Drew said, his voice innocent.

"You're so annoying," she muttered. The last time she'd said that to him, her voice had been affectionate. Not this time.

"Thanks. I try," he said. "Now, if you don't see me in the Grand Festival, it's because I quit contests, so don't worry,"

Then, before she could say anything else, Drew hung up on her.

"That little jerk," Kelli said to herself as she looked at her Pokénav. It said, "call disconnected".

* * *

May ran up the hill, her tears mingling with her sweat; it was hot out, and the hill was high. She wasn't really that focused on where she was going, either. She just knew that she had to run as far away from the contest hall as possible.

The path was rocky and difficult to climb, and May tripped quite often. She knew that she couldn't keep going without taking a break, but she did so anyway. Finally, she reached the top of the hill.

She looked in horror at the figure sitting up on the rock. He had shiny green hair that May would've recognized anywhere. It was Drew!

* * *

Drew was minding his own business, still sitting. He was looking out at the land that stretched below him. The green was interrupted by a few houses, but it was mostly open space, which surprised him. Although he was in Johto now, he was a Hoenn native, and everyone knew that Hoenn was the most densely populated region. Therefore, he had trouble remembering that not everybody lived so close together.

Then, he heard some footsteps on the gravel by the hill. Someone was there. Then, he heard _her_ voice gasp. It was May!

**

* * *

**

A/N:

Wow! That was so short, but I have to continue it in another chapter. I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. I was on vacation, and there was no Wi-Fi in the hotel. :-0. Oh well, I plan on putting the next update very soon. Just please review! 


	9. Race Against the Clock!

**A/N: **As promised, here's the next chapter! I tried to make it as long as possible to make up for the late update-and the fact Chapter 8 was my shortest chapter! I had to split this and the previous chapter because I wanted to add a cliff-hanger. Originally, it was all one chapter, but then I couldn't really find a way to cut it off, and it felt too long. So, here's Chapter 9! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Pokémon.

* * *

_Last Time in What REALLY Happened in Johto…_

_Then, he heard some footsteps on the gravel by the hill. Someone was there. Then, he heard her voice gasp. It was May!_

* * *

**Chapter 9: **Race Against the Clock!

* * *

Drew didn't want May to tell him off a second time for something he hadn't even done, so he started to get up. Then, he heard her beautiful voice say,

"Wait, Drew,"

He sighed and sat back down on the rock. "What?" he asked, wincing as his voice cracked pathetically.

May said nothing and sat on the rock next to him. She turned away from him and just kept silent; she wasn't quite ready to talk to him yet. Suddenly, she felt a little cold…and she could feel Drew tense next to her. She looked up at the sky and noticed that the sun must've set already, because it had gone pitch black. A cold wind began to blow the trees around her.

They sat in silence for a minute, looking out across the darkened forest below them. Johto was really different from Hoenn and even Kanto, especially the landscape. The trees and climate were not as tropical as that of Hoenn, and the Pokémon were different because of it. Another thing that was different was what could be heard as the sun set. May and Drew had both grown up falling asleep to the sounds of the Volbeat and Illumise humming to each other with their wings. Here, though, only the sounds of Hoothoot calling to each other could be heard. However, tonight, not even the Hoothoot were saying anything. They were probably hiding from the cold wind that had started blowing.

"Look, May, I don't feel like being yelled at again, so I'll just leave," Drew said finally.

May looked down, obviously ignoring him.

"I'll…uh…see you at the next contest, May," he said, beginning to stand up.

"No, wait!" May cried suddenly.

Drew blinked in shock. "What?" he asked. May noticed that he'd turned anyway, and for that she was grateful.

"I'm sorry about everything, and I just figured out that I really—" A low rumbling cut May off. "What's that?" she demanded.

Drew listened closely and looked up at the sky and across the horizon. Then, he saw a distant flash of lightning that was no less bright despite the distance. He counted in his head, and then came the answering rolling of thunder…

"Sixty seconds," Drew mumbled out loud. "From the sounds of the thunder and where the lightning has appeared, the storm is headed north and is about twelve miles away—approximately,"

"How do _you_ know?" May asked, suddenly feeling scared; she'd never liked storms.

"Well, when the lightning is south from us, judging by the loudness and brightness of it, and the wind was blowing north, I'm assuming that's the way the storm is headed," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh," she squeaked.

"And considering we can't really head back to the contest hall now, I suppose we should find a cave to go to," he said, getting up quickly, grabbing his bag as he rose. May watched as he stood and walked towards the woods. He turned and shouldered his pack, noticing she wasn't following him. "Aren't you coming, May? This storm may be twelve miles away, but the average squall line can achieve a speed of up to fifty miles per hour. We've gotta hurry,"

May nodded and followed him, looking at the angry, ominous clouds above.

"Let's see," He took out his compass and instantly cursed. "Crap! This thing is going haywire!" he said, tapping the glass as if that would make a difference. The needle was spinning so quickly, Drew couldn't follow it for more than a few seconds at a time without getting dizzy.

"What does that tell you?" May asked, already afraid of the answer.

"It means that this is no ordinary thunderstorm," Drew opened his bag again. "This should help!" he said with satisfaction, opening his Pokénav.

May smiled hopefully; Drew always had a plan.

"Great, just great," he said angrily. He jabbed the power button over and over, but the screen didn't even flicker.

"What's wrong?" May asked, concerned.

"It's out of battery!" he said, still jabbing the power button. The only things he elicited from the object were a few times when the screen flashed on and off with the battery icon flashing.

May gasped. Now they really were sunk.

"I was meaning to charge it this morning, but I guess I forgot," said Drew sheepishly.

Meanwhile, the wind was picking up again. A few stray leaves blew off of the trees and landed on the ground. May felt some raindrops land on her head. The storm was getting closer, and they still had no idea what to do.

"I've got a Pokénav," May said, remembering for the first time. She handed her red Pokénav over to Drew.

He opened it and searched "weather" on its browser. May jumped as a louder crash than before echoed through the silent forest.

"Just as I thought," he said, looking at the screen grimly. "This storm is so big that it'll hit us no matter where we go. This is no little rainstorm; this is a supercell,"

"Which means? Use common English, please," May said impatiently.

"It means that we're in big trouble," he said, breaking into a run. "According to the map, there's a cave nearby where we can take shelter,"

May nodded and followed him.

"Can I talk while we run, May?" Drew asked.

"Whatever," May panted. For the first time, she didn't have the energy to talk; today had just been so draining, and now it was coming to a pretty crappy end.

"It's just a nervous habit. Now, a storm like this is called a supercell—as I've said before. It's central system is typically built off a single rotating updraft," he explained.

"Wait, I've heard of these!" May said, ignoring his scientific mumbo-jumbo. Drew looked at her and noticed that her eyes had become wide with fear. "Is it true that these storms sometimes make tornadoes?"

Drew nodded. "But this land isn't flat enough for that. If a tornado was created, it would be a weak one,"

Finally, they reached a rocky crag. It was a sheer face, and it looked very high. If they didn't climb it before the rain came, it would be too slippery, and they'd be stuck at the bottom, without shelter, in the middle of nowhere.

"Let's see…if we climb up to the top, there should be a cave we can go in," he said quickly. Then, he handed May her Pokénav and the end of a rope.

Pocketing the Pokénav, a thought struck her. "Drew, let's have a truce," she said, playing with the rope nervously.

"A truce?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah…that we're both on the same side. It's only until this storm is over, so…" She trailed off as he smirked.

"What? Don't you trust me, May?" he asked.  
"It's just that I wanna make sure we're working together on this one," she said.

His eyes widened. "Okay, that sounds like a good idea," he admitted.

"Shake on it, Drew? Truce?" May offered her hand, a solemn expression on her face.

"Truce," he repeated. Then, he took her hand.

She smiled at him. Then, May noticed that there was something in her hand. "What's the rope for?" she asked, looking at it blankly. It had a carabineer at the end.

"Well, I figured you weren't all that great at climbing, May," Drew responded curtly, taking the rope back. He tied it to a sturdy-looking tree nearby and tested its strength a couple times.

"And you'd be right about that," she murmured, looking up at the sheer cliff. She wondered how she could possibly scale that.

"But this is also for both of our safety; I'll climb up first and secure the rope," he explained, examining the rock face. "Yeah, this shouldn't be a problem," He tested the tree's strength one last time and was about to tie the rope around his waist when May spoke.

"Wait! I have a better idea!" she said.

"And that is?" Drew asked with irritation. He looked up at the churning, black sky once more. The storm wouldn't wait. Already, he could see the tip of the storm coming. He knew what it would bring, too: pounding rain, fierce winds, and most of all, lightning. Although normal supercells were slow, it was obvious that this wasn't a run-of-the-mill supercell, either. That gave them even less time.

"Beautifly! Go!" she said, not even bothering to wait for Drew's go-ahead. The Butterfly Pokémon looked extremely nervous and kept looking up as if it expected the sky to fall on it.

"Oh, so you don't trust my climbing skills," Drew observed, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I don't trust _you_. How do I know that you won't cut the rope after you climb up and leave me stranded?" May asked, hands on hips.

"What happened to the truce?" Drew replied, feeling slightly hurt.

"A truce only goes so far," May folded her arms across her chest. She began to tap her foot. "Well, the storm won't wait, Drew," she said.

Drew could tell that May wasn't budging on this one, so he sighed and passed her the rope. It would take a long time before she trusted him again…and the worst part was: he hadn't even done anything wrong.

May attached the rope to her faithful Pokémon. "Okay, Beautifly, I want you to fly up to the cave at the top of this cliff, attach the rope to something sturdy, and come back down. Got it?"

"_Beauuutifly!_" (_Yup. Got it, May!_) it replied, fluttering its wings. Then, it propelled itself up, up, up.

Drew was impressed by how shiny May's Pokémon's wings were. It had definitely grown since he'd last seen it, and he knew that it'd make a formidable opponent in contests.

Finally, May heard the sound of metal being clipped onto a rocky outcropping. She was about to take the rope when Drew said,

"Wait, May! Let me test it first!"

"By all means, Drew, play the hero!" she said. "Better you than me to fall and break your neck," she added quietly.

He'd obviously heard May's comment, but he pretended to ignore it. Drew looked up and pulled on the rope a few times. Then he put his whole weight into it and climbed a few tentative steps up the rock face.

"Yup," he said, jumping off. "It's definitely safe, May,"

Beautifly fluttered down, looking terrified. It looked back up at the sky and shivered, as if knowing that the storm was coming. It'd been pretty perceptive; seconds after it'd shivered at the sky, a rumble of thunder sounded from the distance. It was a lot closer than before, and that frightened May—and her Pokémon. She snapped herself out of it and got her Beautifly's Pokéball off her belt.

"Great job, Beautifly. Return," said May, calling back her Pokémon.

Beautifly was engulfed in a red light and disappeared into its Pokéball. It seemed really happy to be leaving the impending storm.

"Your Beautifly did a great job of finding a support for the rope," Drew admitted, tugging on the rope experimentally. "This is climbing rope, by the way, and it's able to support a Wailord on a strand. It definitely won't snap under _your_ weight," he added.

May gulped and put her hands on the rope, gripping it. She suddenly felt very happy to be wearing gloves; she could feel the sharpness of the rope even through their thickness. She wondered idly how Drew had even been able to grip it without cutting up his bare hands.

Then, she took her first step onto the rock. It felt sturdy, so she put her entire weight on it, bracing herself for a fall.

"You're doing great, May," Drew cheered. "Now, if you look up and to your right, there's a perfect handhold,"

May looked up and found a dent in the rock that her hand fit into perfectly. She held onto it with her right hand and tested it before trusting it enough to put her weight on it. Sure enough, it was stable.

"What do I do now?" she asked, her voice shaking. She craned her neck and looked down. The ground was only a few feet down, but she remembered that wasn't wearing a harness. She suddenly felt really dizzy as she saw Drew looking back at her, a stern expression on his face.

"Okay, first of all, don't look down; that's the biggest rule of climbing without a harness. There's a foothold for your left foot if you just lift it a few inches. It's sticking out slightly, and it looks sturdy, but don't let go of your right hand or left hand just in case," he called.

May gulped and lifted her foot apprehensively. She knew that a fall from this height would mean death, and she was already scared of heights without thinking that way. Then, she focused back on the goal and what she was supposed to be. It was to scale the wall before the imminent thunderstorm fried her. This was a race against the clock…

She refocused her mind again and reached her foot a little higher. Just like Drew had said, there was an outcropping. Tentatively, she tested it with her foot. It felt pretty sturdy, but she didn't dare let go of the rope or her right handhold.

"Next, lift your right foot slightly, May. You'll find a perfect foothold to bring yourself up. A good handhold for your right hand is just over your head. Once you bring up your right foot, grab the new handhold, and pull yourself up," Drew said. His voice sounded fainter than before, which meant that she was getting higher.

May did as told and found that the rest was instinctive. She grabbed for the handholds, and soon, she felt a bigger outcropping than before, which she quickly reached for.

"You did it, May! No lift yourself up!" Drew yelled. "You're doing great, I'm—" Whatever he'd been trying to say was drowned out by thunder.

May jumped the last foot or so and lifted herself up. She pulled her legs through the entrance and smiled. She'd made it to the cave. Panting, she collapsed onto the floor. She looked down the dizzying height and saw Drew's green head moving up the face of the cliff at an astounding speed. He was scaling the cliff, she realized.

"Wow," she whispered. She also realized that he was carrying a heavy bag, too. Yet, he'd made it in a quarter of the time it had taken May. _How did he do it?_ she thought in shock.

She also noticed that it'd begun to rain, heavily. Drew finally poked his head into the cave, and May felt a little satisfaction that his hair was dripping with water. A few droplets fell onto the cave floor.

"Well, that was fun," he said sarcastically, brushing off his hands. They were raw and bleeding, but his green eyes shone. May then noticed that he wasn't even panting.

"Aren't you tired from lugging your heavy backpack up a sheer rock face—without a harness? " she demanded. She was still panting a little, and she couldn't hear if Drew was panting; the pounding rain was too loud. She could barely see anything because the cave was pitch black.

As if responding to her thoughts, a massive flash of lightning illuminated the entire cave for a minute. That gave Drew just enough time to scope out just how big it was. It was big and high enough for his Arcanine to stand comfortably with Flygon, Absol, May, and himself. Right after the lightning faded, the answering crash of thunder was so loud that it shook the cave.

May squealed in fear and cowered behind Drew. Her arms wrapped around him, and she shook. Drew could feel her heart racing; her head was resting on his shoulder, and her chest was pressed up against his.

"So, I'm assuming you don't like thunderstorms," Drew said coolly—despite the fact he was seriously blushing. He gently pried May's surprisingly strong arms off of himself. "By the way, you climbed quite well; I was mildly impressed," he added, holding her in front of him by the torso.

"Drew, it's so dark," she whispered, taking his arms away.

Drew rolled his eyes, even though it was too dark for May to see it. "It's a cave, May. What did you expect?" he asked as another crack of thunder came, interrupting the nearly constant percussion of the pounding rain. He began to methodically wring out his clothes, shaking his damp hair so that the droplets were flung around the cave.

Realizing how dark it was again, May got another idea. Digging through her fanny pack blindly, she finally discovered what she'd been looking for. She'd been smart and had packed a flashlight.

"I hope you don't mind if I take off my shirt, May; it got soaked from the rain," Drew said, breaking the silence between them.

"I've got a flashlight, Drew!" May said, holding it reverently. Finally, no more dark, scary cave! She turned on the large flashlight that was really more of a small lantern. She laid it flat on the cave's rock floor so that it was illuminating the entire cave.

May watched wordlessly as Drew removed his shirt and wrung it out over the edge of the cave; there was an outcropping right above the floor of the cave, so the windblown rain didn't make it there.

His back looked so toned and fit…and sexy…However, she knew that she'd never live it down if she got caught looking at him, so May busied herself with taking an inventory of what they had in the way of pillows, blankets, and other things to sleep on. She had a warm and plushy blanket that had functioned as her sleeping bag from when she'd slept on Drew's air mattress (which had only been one night). She still remembered the smell. It'd smelled like roses and some musk. She assumed that that was the way Drew smelled, too.

May also had two pillows, but she knew that they'd get dirty if she just lied on the floor of the cave. Not to mention the fact it would be pretty uncomfortable. Suddenly, a cold wind blew through the cave, and May shivered.

Drew turned. Apparently, he'd found a spare shirt in his backpack because he was wearing a black, long-sleeved tee just like the one he always wore. However, he apparently didn't have another purple shirt like the one he usually wore on top.

"May, your lips are blue," he said, his eyes softening with concern. Drew looked at the way her skin already had goose bumps. Then, he realized why; all she was wearing was a little dress and biker shorts. That couldn't possibly keep a thin girl like her warm in such temperatures.

Sighing, he passed her a fleece sweatshirt. It was black, and May felt how soft the material was.

"It's fleece from a Mareep. It's naturally warm," Drew explained, looking out at the storm.

Another crash of thunder came, and it was so startling that May literally jumped. Drew, however, merely flinched a little bit. He looked at her, concerned. "You sure you're okay?" he asked.

May nodded, still shivering—partially from fear and partially from the cold. She was wearing his sweatshirt, but it still wasn't enough. Even through the coldness, she noticed that the sweatshirt smelled the same as Drew's air mattress had. She decided that she liked that smell and inhaled deeply, letting the wonderful scent envelop her.

His eyes narrowed; he didn't believe her for a minute. He pulled her deeper into the small cave, away from the driving rain. "First, stay away from the entrance," he said. "As for sleeping arrangements, the best thing to do is sleep clustered together. This way, we transfer body heat, and both of us keep warm," Drew hoped that she didn't notice that he was blushing.

"Know-it-all," May muttered, a blush forming on her cheeks at the prospect of sleeping next to Drew…oh, how she wanted to…

He rolled his eyes at her. "I'm just trying to make sure that you're okay. And, I have another idea," he said.

"O-oh b-boy," she said flatly. The deadpan affect was ruined by the shivering, though. Then, she disregarded his first piece of advice by moving away from him—which happened to be closer to the front of the cave where the windblown rain made the cave even colder.

Drew sighed and took a Pokéball off his belt. He pressed the button, not wanting to throw it in case the wind was too strong. "Arcanine, come on out!" Drew said in a whisper as his Pokémon appeared. He pocketed the Pokéball again.

When he looked up, Drew found that the dog-like creature had instantly cowered in the back of the cave, away from the rain. It looked to its master for orders.

"I need you to keep May warm," he told it, looking at May concernedly. "It's obvious she doesn't want me near her, but you're an innocent Pokémon, and you're warmer than I am," he added.

"_Aroof!_" (_Of course, Master!_) it barked eagerly.

It approached May, its footsteps drowned out by the pounding rain and rumbling thunder that echoed through the cave.

"O-oh, h-hi, A-Arc-canine," May said, shivering. She had her legs gathered under the sweatshirt, but she was shaking vigorously.

Arcanine picked May up despite her weak protests. It pulled her deeper into the cave. Then, it curled up around her, pulling her in the middle of its warm, furry body. Then, satisfied that she was comfortable and warm, it drifted off to sleep, It, too, was wiped from the long contest, even though Drew had taken it to Nurse Joy for some rest, of course.

May instantly felt warmer, and she laid her head on its sleek fur. Absently, she admired how soft and silky it was, and she felt lucky to be able to be sleeping on such a comfy Pokémon. _Drew was the one who raised it, so I really have him to thank for it,_ May realized tiredly.

Then, she looked over at said green-haired coordinator. He was sitting, looking out into the rain. As the lightning illuminated his face, May saw that he looked really tired. He also looked like he was freezing over there; he was only wearing a thin T-shirt, after all. She knew that Drew was just trying to keep a respectful distance, but they _did_ have a truce, so it was okay to let him come over, wasn't it?

"Drew?" May called weakly.

Drew looked up, and May was surprised that he'd even heard her. He turned around and looked at a comfortable May. He instantly rose from his spot at the cave entrance and came a little closer. "What's wrong, May?" he asked her, his eyes shining with worry. May noticed that there were dark circles under them.

"Stay here," she said, patting Arcanine's furry body. It shifted a little, but it didn't wake up; its gentle breathing was proof of that. "I want you next to me," Then, her eyes closed.

Drew sat down hesitantly, and Arcanine shifted accommodatingly to allow room for him. He instantly felt warm, safe, and comfortable. He could feel Arcanine's slow, calm heartbeat beneath him, and he could also feel May's more rapid pulse next to him. It felt so calming.

Then, he heard May murmur,

"Oh, and by the way, when we get back to civilization, I'm giving you the cold shoulder. Just thought you'd wanna know,"

"Thanks for that, May," Drew said softly. Inside, he wished could stay away from civilization forever if it meant May would speak to and listen to him.

Then, Drew fell asleep next to May while the storm raged outside. The storm, though, was nothing compared to the mayhem that was going on in the catty contest world…

* * *

**A/N: **So, how did you like it? Was it good? Was it what you were expecting to happen? Drop a review and tell me what you think—I really wanna hear your opinions!


	10. Is it True?

**A/N:** Here's the much-anticipated next chapter. I'm not sure if you're expecting this or not, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter…Keep reviewing because it makes me feel happy. Let's face it: who _doesn't _like a nice review?

**Disclaimer: **No matter how many times I write this, the fact that I don't own Pokémon or the characters will never change…

* * *

_Last Time in What REALLY Happened in Johto…_

_Then, Drew fell asleep next to May while the storm raged outside. The storm, though, was nothing compared to the mayhem that was going on in the catty contest world…_

* * *

**Chapter 10:** Is it True?

_May lied on the bed, transfixed, as she looked into Drew's emerald eyes. They looked so warm and loving…she could just stare into them forever. _

But what were they doing on a bed? Why was she lying on a bed? With DREW?

_She felt so at ease as his strong arms wrapped around her body. She was a little surprised to find that his arms were touching her bare skin…_

Bare skin? How? _May demanded in her head. It seemed as though she had no control over her dream self. She felt her own lips touch Drew's, and they were kissing. It was weird, though, because May couldn't break away—not that she wanted to. She breathed his scent that surrounded her as they kissed. It smelled just as sweet and seductive as ever… _

_Finally, they separated. The funny thing was, neither May nor Drew was out of breath._

_Dream Drew's face formed a kind smile as he looked into her eyes. "I love you, May," his melodic voice said._

Wait, love? She was having a dream about Drew? What?

_"May…" he said, his loving smile fading. "May…" His voice was getting louder, and slowly, the dream faded. _"MAY!"

May jumped and sat bolt upright. Drew instantly moved back as May sat up, but the blush was plain on his cheeks, and that brought May to the question of why. _Why's he blushing?_ she thought.

May opened her eyes again and looked around, blinking. She appeared to be in a cave…but why? Then, last night's events rushed back to her. There'd been a storm…and she and Drew had taken shelter in this cave.

She was about to say something when she remembered that she wasn't talking to him.

"I see you remembered your promise," Drew said, putting his gear back into his bag. "I'll see you later, May," Then, he handed her a red rose and jumped off the ledge.

May was numb. Drew had just jumped off the edge of a cliff? How could he…? Then, she remembered that he had Flygon. Well, that'd saved her from an awkward situation. She almost smiled as she saw Drew riding his Flygon away. She was surprised it was even strong enough to support the teenager's weight…not that Drew was too heavy or anything…

Then, she made quick work of packing up her belongings. The storm had cleared up, and May sat on the edge of the cave, watching the beautiful sunrise. The sky looked like Blaziken had used Overheat on Venusaur's Petal Dance. It looked fiery, pink, and red, all at the same time. As she watched, May was filled with a sense of peace. Although she wasn't speaking to Drew, it didn't matter. She_ would _beat him next time—no matter what.

* * *

Drew was deep in thought that morning as he lied on the cold cave floor (he'd called back Arcanine once the storm cleared up so that it could have some well-deserved rest). His tired eyes softened as he gazed longingly at May's face. She was fast asleep in his arms, and he felt so calm and happy with her warm body so close to his.

He was thinking about her, too. Drew had woken up early because of nightmares, and he hadn't been able to go back to sleep. Of course, he didn't really mind. May's presence made him feel so restful that he didn't need to actually need to lose his eyes for the sweet feeling of relaxation to overcome him.

As he looked at May, a smile formed on her sleeping face, and Drew wondered what she was dreaming about. He heard her murmur something that he couldn't quite understand, but he thought it sounded like she was saying his name. He couldn't be sure, though, and he didn't want to make any assumptions. After all, a dream was a dream, and Drew knew from experience that one can't control who and what one dreams about.

Then, he felt her warm arms wrap around his neck. The smile on her innocent, sleeping face had become bigger. Of course, Drew didn't want to wake her, so he gently pulled the brunette's arms off. Aforementioned brunette then laid her head on his shoulder, and he breathed the scent of her soft hair. It smelled slightly like cinnamon.

"Don' let go," May cried suddenly, gripping his wrist with her dainty fingers. Her eyes were closed tight, and Drew wished he could find out what she was dreaming about—better yet, whom.

The chartreuse-haired coordinator sighed and kept his arms around her. He made a mental note to tease her about the sleep talking later. He sincerely hoped that she didn't really mean what she said about not speaking to him.

Then, sitting in that cave, listening to May's soft breathing and the leftover rain that was now drip-dropping from the nearby trees, Drew figured it out. He wanted her—no, he _needed_ May…so badly that it almost scared him. He'd never admit it, though. He knew that May was probably having a dream about another boy…most likely Ash. He knew that she liked the black-haired Pokémon trainer, even though he tried to deny it inside.

_But hey, if she's happy with Ash, so be it, _the let's-be-best- friends-with-May side of him thought. _After all, the only thing that matters is if May is happy…_he reminded himself, his conscience taking on a lecturing tone. Then, his thoughts were interrupted by the very object of his affections.

"…Drew," she murmured, her face forming a cute pout.

_What is she dreaming about?_ he wondered.

She said his name again, louder and more clearly this time. "Please don't go, Drew," she whispered in her sleep. The girl rolled over in Drew's arms, and he fought to keep her steady—and prevent his legs from falling asleep.

Drew was shocked; May was having a dream about _him_! Could it mean what he thought it meant? Did May feel the same way? After all the roses, the insults…was it even possible for May—let alone any girl—to feel that way? The incident that happened yesterday, which would later be known as simply the Violet Incident, had really made Drew think. What if his charms were wearing off? What if the ladies didn't feel that way about him anymore? What if this was it for Drew? Then, an even scarier thought struck him: what if May had liked him before, but the incident had ruined everything? What if he'd never have a chance with her again? What if she never spoke to him again? What if his charms were wearing off, and that was why May wouldn't speak to him? What if the ladies didn't feel that way about him? What if this was it for Drew's career? What if—

And so, Drew sat in that cave for the rest of that night, holding May in his arms, listening to the storm, his thoughts spiraling. His brain was betraying him, he realized. Before, he'd simply thrown such self-doubting notions from his head without a second thought…but now, the one thing he thought would never change—the one being he thought would never betray him—did, and it shook him to his very core. Drew Greene **(A/N: yes, I just came up with this surname—sorry if someone else thought of it first; if so, the credit is yours.) **was scared, and, of every single terrifying thought that was flying through his head that night, _that_ one was the most frightening.

Then, as the night wore on, May's movements came closer and closer to him. Her arms were wrapped around him. He wasn't really complaining, but he didn't really want to have a sleeping girl hanging all over him; it was just a little bit creepy.

He slowly removed her arms and rose silently, wincing as his stiff legs threatened to buckle underneath him. He stood firm, though, and Drew quickly and silently packed his things. Then, he sent out Flygon; hey, Drew was famous for his exits, and he didn't want to disappoint—even after the long night with hardly any sleep. Finally, after packing up and giving Flygon its instructions, he picked up May's surprisingly light body and held her in his arms.

Drew noticed, with an eye roll, that May was still fast asleep, so he said her name. "May," he whispered, shaking her slightly. He brought his face closer to hers, in case she hadn't heard him. "May," he said a little bit more loudly. There was still no response, and Drew could see the sunlight filtering in through the cave entrance. They'd already been gone for hours, and it wasn't like Drew's rep wasn't bad enough as it was. "MAY!" he said loudly, finally becoming impatient.

She jumped, and Drew instantly moved his head back. To his mortification, he began to bush. Inwardly, he instantly ordered himself t snap out of it. May didn't seem to notice as she took in the cave, a "where am I?" look plastered on her angelic face. Then, turning to Drew, her eyes slightly cold, which deeply hurt him, May looked like she was about to say something, but then she clamped her mouth shut stubbornly.

"So, I see you've kept your promise," he said, smirking slightly. His tone bore some resemblance to a schoolteacher scolding a child for doing something she knew she wasn't supposed to do. Then, Drew flipped his perfect, jade-colored hair and tossed a rose over his shoulder, which he heard May catch. The catch was accompanied by an audible gasp. Drew smirked again; messing with May was so much fun—not to mention easy. "See ya later, May," he said, jumping off the edge.

He heard another gasp and chuckled to himself as Flygon caught him expertly. Drew slung his bag over his back, sitting down on Flygon.

"_Gon, fly?_" (_Where to now, Master?_) the Desert Spirit chimed. Its rhombus-shaped wings glittered in the sunlight, and, as the Pokémon flapped them, it made a beautiful singing voice. That was Flygon's pride and joy—that voice was how it got its name.

"Let's head to Cottonbrook Town," Drew said over the wind, recalling that Solidad had told him via video phone there was a contest there in a few days. "It's between Blackthorn and Mahogany Town," the green-haired teen instructed.

"_Fly!_" (_Yes, Master!_) the Pokémon cried, happy that its master trusted him. _Poor Roserade,_ Flygon thought. _But then, I told it not to meddle in other people's love lives._

Drew looked at the view from his dragon's back. They'd just flown over Violet City, and they were now flying above a grassy plain. It was full of flowers, and it instantly made the coordinator think of Roserade. He winced as he thought of its name. Roserade had been his first Pokémon—but then it had betrayed him. He'd thought Roserade was there for Drew, that it hoped for what was best. He knew that Roserade had been planning to tear himself and May apart, but he also knew that Roserade really liked May. That meant that Roserade didn't like…Drew himself, its own master. With that realization, Drew almost fell off Flygon. The startled Pokémon instantly righted itself with a little effort, though.

It chirped anxiously to itself. The Master it knew would never, ever lose focus and almost fall like that. Flygon knew that something was seriously wrong with its Master, and Flygon only existed for the happiness of Drew…

* * *

May cursed under her breath. She'd climbed _up_, but now she had to climb _down_! Up was a whole lot easier than DOWN! How was she supposed to do it? The only way she'd made it up in the first place was because Drew had helped her.

Drew…he was so flawless, so handsome, so talented. He made her want to swoon…Wait, why couldn't May stop thinking about him? She was supposed to hate him! She was _supposed_ to be furious with him after what he did—no, after what he _implied_ with his "loss" in Violet City!

Sighing, she slung her backpack onto her shoulder. Then, she slowly and painfully made her way down the sheer rock face, trying not to think about the fact that if she made one misstep, she'd die. Finally, she made it to the bottom. She sat on the ground for a minute to catch her breath. Then, May trudged back through the woods and up the hill. She was headed back to Violet City, so she could find out where the next contest was.

* * *

At last, Drew made it to Cottonbrook Town, and he called Flygon back into its Pokéball for some well-deserved rest. It seemed like a nice place. It had a clean, crisp feel to it. It was surrounded by farms and fields on one side and a brook and mysterious woods on the other. The buildings weren't very big. In fact, it was a pretty small town. Most of the shops were small and looked family-owned. The biggest visible building in town, in fact, was the Pokémon Center—apart from the Contest Hall, which he and Flygon had flown over on their way in; it was on the southern end of town, where it was a little more crowded and the buildings were a little bigger and closer together.

Drew smiled as he walked through the town, scoping it out. The people moved slowly and at a leisurely pace down the streets, as if they had somewhere to go, but they were going to get there when they got there. The place was kind of hushed, too, and some places were even deserted, but not in the run-down-ghost-town kind of way. It was just…quiet. The houses were painted cheery colors, though, and the buildings were old-fashioned. It had a homey kind of feel to it, and it suddenly made him homesick.

Of course, this place wasn't even a comparison to the amazing beauty of LaRousse City. Drew was a very proud person, and, above most other things (except, maybe, his devastating good looks…or talent), he was proud of his hometown. Its hustling, bustling, busy streets made his heart sing. He admitted it, Drew missed LaRousse City.

Finally, after a look around, Drew saw the familiar building of the Pokémon Center. Inside, he read a note on the table. Apparently, Nurse Joy was out on a field visit, examining some critically injured Pokémon. Her Chansey was also gone, which made him wonder just how serious the situation was. It didn't matter _what_ was going on, though; the only thing that was important at the moment was that Nurse Joy wasn't there, so Drew would just have to wait.

So, he plopped onto the nearest couch and decided to catch up on some well-deserved sleep. His dreams were haunted by May and Roserade. Drew almost wished that he _hadn't_ fallen asleep in the first place. Of course, he'd had nothing but nightmares the night before, so he felt a little better about his dreams.

Drew later woke up to the sound of voices. He didn't feel all that refreshed, either. The coordinator almost sighed out loud. Why, if they were fangirls interrupting his less-than-peaceful slumber, he would have to break something. Then, Drew realized that the voices were coming from the TV that was hanging above him. He felt something hard under his elbow and looked down. Of course; he'd slept on the remote, so it'd turned on.

He looked up at it. It was just Drew's luck; one of his least favorite shows was on. It was a gossip show on the "Access Johto" channel. The woman on it was obviously around thirty, but she'd had so many alterations done to her face, she looked like a robot. It was almost funny seeing her try to stretch her skin into a smile. There wasn't enough looseness for it to even smirk…not that many people could perfect that, anyway. Drew sighed and turned his attention back to the abhorrent woman.

"…and this is Behind the Ribbon, an exclusive show that goes into the lives of coordinators," she was saying in her phony voice. Drew hated this channel because they usually talked negatively about him—or Solidad…or one of their other friends. He was about to change it when he heard his own name being said. He turned his attention back to the screen and gasped. There was his picture, all right. After all, how many insanely attractive coordinators had green hair and eyes?

"And now, let's discuss Drew Greene's latest contest," said the woman. "Yesterday, in Violet City, Drew entered a contest with his fantastic Pokémon. Here's some footage of his appeal," A brief clip of Drew's appeal with Masquerain and Butterfree was shown. "Obviously, he made it on to the next round. We later found out that he was paired with rival and long-time lover, May Maple,"

Drew rolled his eyes at the word "lover". Then, he almost swooned as May's picture appeared on the screen. That photo was followed by a clip of some of their battles.

"The two of them easily advanced, but then, when they battled in the finals, Drew blew the match!" the woman's overly made-up face was twisted in a shocked expression.

Drew took a pillow off the couch and yelled into it in fury. He did NOTHING wrong! Why couldn't people just see that? Then, suddenly, the TV turned off. Drew turned around, about to tell whoever it was that he'd been watching that show. Behind him was Nurse Joy, so he instantly stopped himself from being rude. After all, Nurse Joys were nice to everyone, and not even Drew was cold-hearted enough to disrespect one of them.

"I could see that it was bothering you, so I turned it off," said the Pokémon Doctor. "I'm assuming that you're here for the contest," she added.

Drew nodded dejectedly. "I've just got to win my fifth ribbon," he said flatly, fingering his ribbon case in his pocket.

"Now, you don't sound like the Drew Greene I've seen on TV," said Nurse Joy playfully.

He sighed, flopping back onto the couch. Nurse Joy met his tired, emerald-colored gaze with her kind, dark blue eyes.

"So, it's true, isn't it? Everything they all said about you," she said softly, her smile fading.

Drew raised an eyebrow at her. "What do they say?" he asked. He closed his eyes as he listened to her words.

"Well, they said you were in love with May, and that's obviously true,"

Drew opened his mouth to argue, but Nurse Joy continued, ignoring his protests.

"And, what happened in Violet City is true," she added. "From a contest fan's point of view, your career is toast,"

"Thanks for that insight, Nurse Joy," Drew said sarcastically. "As if I don't feel bad enough," he muttered.

"Sorry," she said softly. "I've just heard so much,"

"Well, about ninety nine point nine percent of it is a lie," Drew said harshly. "I didn't actually blow the contest—my Roserade took it in its own hands to make me see that love was getting in the way of my career. Of course, I actually feel no love for May, so—"

Nurse Joy cut him off. "Didn't you say you needed a room?" she asked, changing the subject to something less personal.

* * *

May sat in the Pokémon Center in Violet City, thinking about her options. She knew that she wouldn't be able to make in time for to the next contest in Cottonbrook Town, but the one after that was in Siennafield City. She'd heard that Siennafield City was beautiful, but since there was no gym, it wasn't too crowded. It overlooked the water like Cherrygrove City, and there were lots of great restaurants and places to shop.

So, she knew where the next city was. All that was left to do was get some new supplies—including a tent and some real things to cook with. May knew that she was on her own now. She had to journey by herself. Yet, the thought didn't scare her all that much; she was more excited than terrified.

May got up and collected her things. She was looking forward to the solitude, the peacefulness of not having a group of friends with her. Although it had been fun with Ash, Brock, and Max, May wanted to focus. She planned on _winning_ this Grand Festival, after all.

Then, as May left the Pokémon Center, she bumped into something. Just as she predicted, it wasn't a something; it was a _someone_. It produced an "oomph" on contact, after all, and that was always the way to determine whether the object was a person or a thing.

_Well, at least I didn't run into a pole_, May reasoned. _That would've been both embarrassing and painful._

"May!" cried Kelli, interrupting May's thoughts. The blonde coordinator then turned to the brunette, engulfing her in a hug. "Hi!" Kelli squealed.

"Uh, hey, Kelli," May gasped. "You're…kinda…squishing me,"

Kelli instantly relinquished her tight grasp. "So, where are you headed next?" she asked, her violet eyes shining with friendliness.

"I'm going to Siennafield City," May replied with a sunny smile. "But what about you?"

"Well, seeing as I have quite a lot of time to kill before the Grand Festival, I think I'll travel around a bit. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me," Kelli explained.

May grinned. So much for being alone. She liked being with a friend, anyways, and traveling with Kelli would help her understand why the blonde was so deadly in contests. "I'd love to travel with you," she said finally.

"Great! Then let's go!" she cried. Then, her expression darkened. "May, I know how sad you must be feeling right now—or angry. I'm thinking you're feeling more sad, though, because now you don't get to travel with him…"

May nodded, her expression becoming sad. Then, it turned into a scowl. "But then, he always was such a jerk to me!" May said.

"Really? Is that how you really feel? I think that you _really_ like him. Is it true?" Kelli asked…

* * *

**A/N:** To be continued! I'm so evil, I know. Now, I'm hoping for some feedback this time; it's very disconcerting to write a story and not really how people really feel about it at this point. So, PLEASE review this story! Tell me if you think it's dead! Tell me what you think should change—if anything! Tell me how amazing it is (or maybe not)! I don't know, tell me _something_.


	11. Too Much Hugging

**A/N: **Wow! Over thirty reviews! I feel so loved! Enjoy the story!

__

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Pokémon or the characters (and I've said it eleven times now).

* * *

Last time in What REALLY Happened in Johto…

May nodded, her expression becoming sad. Then, it turned into a scowl. "But then, he always was such a jerk to me!" May said.

"Really? Is that how you really feel? I think that you really like him. Is it true?" Kelli asked…

* * *

**Chapter 11: **Too. Much. Hugging.

May blushed instantly. "No, of course not. What would make you say something like that?" she demanded.

Kelli giggled. "Then why are you blushing?" she asked with a sly smile.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "As if I'd ever like him, anyhow," she scoffed under her breath. Kelli realized, after a moment of confusion, that May was talking more to herself than to the blonde coordinator. "After everything he did and said to me, there's no way!" she muttered furiously.

"Whatever," Kelli said in response. "Now, let's get going…and we're headed where…?" She trailed off, shrugging helplessly. Hey, she'd been too busy trying to get May to confess her feelings for Drew—Mew, she'd come so close, too…

"Siennafield City," May replied, picking up her bag. _Poor Kelli and her short attention span, _May thought, smiling slightly.

Kelli's eyes widened, and she ignored the brunette's smile. "Wait, isn't Ecruteak City on the way?" she asked.

May nodded. "Why?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, no reason," Kelli responded quickly, blushing a cherry red.

"Surrre," May answered, but she didn't press the issue. She thought she remembered hearing something from Drew about Kelli liking some trainer from Kanto, but that could just be her tired imagination speaking.

_

* * *

_

Drew sighed as he listened to the familiar girly squeal that he'd know anywhere. Of course, it was just his luck, really. He'd gotten into the Pokémon Center, only to discover none other than Harley! How was that even fair? It wasn't like he hadn't had a bad enough day, what with being slandered and lied about on TV like that. It was seriously getting irritating to be constantly talking about that, and Drew was actually rethinking his career for the millionth time that day.

Before Drew could think any more, Harley pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. Drew instantly wondered how someone so thin and effeminate could hug so hard. His Cacturne jacket itched against Drew's hands as Drew attempted to pull Harley off of himself.

"Ow, Harley, you're squishing me," Drew managed to choke out. Really, it actually hurt—and that made Drew sound like a total wuss (or weenie, as Max called him).

"Oh, I'm so sorry, my little Drewy bear!" Harley cried with a suspiciously feminine giggle. His Cacturne hat shadowed his face. "I didn't mean to hurt you, this time," he added ominously.

Drew rolled his eyes at his rival's annoying antics. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me 'Drewy bear'?" The chartreuse-haired coordinator emphasized the words Drewy bear with a disdainful shudder.

"Sorry…my poor, sweet Key Lime Pie!" he cried, throwing his arms around the other coordinator once more.

Drew groaned and wrenched Harley's surprisingly strong arms off of himself. "Please, don't call me Key Lime Pie," Drew said with a hair flick.

Harley pouted. Then, his face brightened as a plan formed in his head. "Well, I'll tell ya what: I'll stop calling you Key Lime Pie—on one condition," he said.

"What's that?" Drew demanded, desperate to have this creep leave him alone; he knew from experience that if he simply resigned and let Harley play his little games, the annoying, purple-haired coordinator would leave faster.

"You have to travel with me, of course," he said triumphantly. He folded his arms. "Well, Little Drew?"

Drew's eye twitched. Little Drew? The only reason it was such a harsh nickname was because Drew was named after his father, and his mother used to call him Little Drew to differentiate—the same mother who was never around. "_What_ did you just call me?" he asked through clenched teeth. Hey, when Drew was sad, it usually ended in anger.

"Little Drew, of course," Harley said absently, knowing he'd struck a nerve. He took out a nail filer and began filing his nails. "Either you have a few short hours of a living hell—including my nicknames and annoying hugs…or, you can have the Normal Harley that I'm trying to show you for twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. It's your choice," he added, smiling.

Drew raised an eyebrow. The words _Harley_ and _normal_ as Drew knew them to be should never be in a sentence together unless separated by the words:_ is sure as hell not_. "Why do you want me to know 'normal Harley'?" Just thinking about what Harley probably defined as normal made Drew cringe.

Harley's face turned angry, and Drew was slightly scared as the flamboyant individual turned on him. "I know you did it!" he roared, causing several people in the lobby to turn and stare at them.

"Did what?" Drew asked, utterly perplexed at his normally mellow rival's outburst. Then, as Harley took a deep breath, Drew added, "And keep your voice down!"

Harley took another breath, trying to calm his fury. "I know you told them!" he hissed.

"Told them what?" Drew demanded, his patience wearing thin. He didn't have time for Harley's games just now.

"YOU told them I was GAY!" he said in an undertone in Drew's ear.

Instead of asking the purple-haired freak what his problem was—or getting a restraining order, Drew flipped his shiny bangs from his face in that classic manner of his. "So, you finally came out of the closet with it, did you?" he asked smugly.

Harley boiled even more, and his face became red. "You'll pay for this, you pickle-haired teeny-bopper!" he screamed.

"Do you take major credit cards?" Drew asked, his voice still maddeningly calm.

"Just tell me this, Drew," Harley said. He was speaking in a menacingly quiet whisper. "Did you do it? Did you tell the press I was gay?" he demanded, grabbing Drew by the collar.

Drew rolled his eyes. "Why would I be going into your closet life and putting that out in the open, Harley? You know blackmailing isn't my style," he said smoothly, flicking his fringe once more with his free hand.

Harley's face fell. "You mean I tried to beat you up for nothing?" he asked incredulously.

"Apparently," Drew observed with a small smile. "You know, you're really not half bad," he said, knowing it would irritate the other coordinator because of what May had said about his cookies (news traveled fast).

Harley instantly blew up again. "What's THAT supposed to mean?" he demanded, his face turning angry again.

"Oh, I don't know. And since when was this a game of twenty questions? Let me ask one, Harley," Drew replied. Bothering Harley was almost as fun as bugging May. Although, he still preferred those gorgeous sapphires she had for eyes—and that chestnut hair that always looked so smooth…Harley's voice cut into his thoughts.

"Well, what do you wanna know?" he asked with an almost nevrous expression on his face. If he knew Drew as well as he thought he did, he knew what Drew was about to ask, and Harley also knew that the other coordinator may not even believe his answer.

"Are you actually gay, or are you acting? Because, personally, I think you're not really gay—I think you're hiding behind it to prevent yourself from being hurt," Drew said coolly.

Harley's jaw dropped. Drew didn't think he was really gay? He actually had it right, for once? "You just summed up the story of my life in, like, two sentences," the man said, all signs of flamboyancy gone.

Drew smirked. "It's what I do," he replied with another hair flip. "That said, you must like someone a lot if you're willing to act like _that_. My guess is that it's either Solidad or May," he said, still as nonchalant as ever, even though it hurt to say the name of his former travel companion.

"Well, who cares what you think?" Harley muttered, changing the subject instead of blowing up or plotting Drew's downfall. "I'm just stuck here in Cottonbrook because of the contest, and the contest is really all I care about right now,"

"This new you is seriously starting to scare me," Drew said before starting to walk away. "By the way, I plan on telling everyone that you're actually not gay," he added over his shoulder.

"Wait! Don't do that!" Harley said, giving Drew (inadvertently, of course) the reaction he'd been looking for. "I mean, it would blow my cover, and I like acting gay…what can I do to make it up to you if you don't tell?" he asked.

Drew smirked and pretended to think. "Okay, tell ya what," he said, using Harley's tone and previous words. "You travel with me, and I won't tell anyone," he finished, crossing his heart. He loved bothering people—and arguing, so he figured that bugging Harley would be the next best thing to bothering May.

Just as Drew predicted, Harley gasped. "What? _The _Drew wants to travel with _moi_?" he demanded, pointing at himself.

Drew flipped his bangs from his eyes. "Of course," he said. "Bothering you is so much fun,"

Harley glowered at him, but since he was getting his way, he smiled, though it still looked forced, in Drew's opinion. "Pals? Amigos? Friends?" Harley asked, each word coming rapid fire. He stuck out his hand for Drew, and Drew shook it with a tight smile.

"Yup, friends," Drew muttered under his breath. He refrained from rolling his eyes, because he didn't want to annoy Harley any more than he already had...for now.

Harley grinned and giggled, clapping his hands together. "That's great, my little Key Lime Pie!" he cried.

Drew groaned in response; this was going to be a long journey, but at least this would be his fifth ribbon—so he hoped. Then, he could focus on training his Pokémon for the Grand Festival.

_

* * *

_

Meanwhile, Kelli and May were trekking through the woods, completely lost. Of course, each had found out too late that the other had the worst sense of direction in the entire world. Another obvious thing was that luck was obviously not in May's favor; her Pokénav's battery had, unfortunately, died, and Kelli's Pokégear's Map Card seemed to be malfunctioning.

"This is _just_ great!" May cried angrily, snapping a branch in half in her frustration.

Kelli, however, handled the situation more calmly. Instead of freaking out like May had, she just looked at a nearby tree intently. Hadn't they passed this tree, like, an hour ago? Arceus, this forest was so confusing, and every tree looked the same, but she couldn't really be sure.

Next to her, May was on the ground in a fetal position, crying, "We're going to die, we're going to die, we're going to die," from next to her.

Kelli rolled her eyes at the other coordinator's histrionics. She now knew more than ever that Drew and May were perfect for each other; in situations like this, they were perfect opposites. By now, Drew would've just done something to figure things out by now. So, Kelli took the calm approach, acting a little like Drew, so she noted.

"May?" she asked her companion, a smirk playing across her features. Yes, she'd definitely spent too much time around Drew. What was next? Would she start pulling out roses and giving them to boys she liked—or would she start flipping her hair first and then progress to the roses?

May instantly stood up from the ground, brushing leaves off of her hair and shirt. She was blushing slightly from embarrassment, but she looked hopeful at the same time. "What's up, Kelli? Can you find a way out of here?" she demanded. She grabbed the blonde's shoulders and shook her. "It's been two hours, and I'm STARVING!" she cried.

Kelli rolled her eyes once more and pulled May's arms off her beloved tee shirt. It was her favorite, and May's pulling threatened to rip the soft material. She gave herself a mental note to make May buy her a new shirt if there was any permanent damage to her clothing. She winced as she pulled it back into place, looking at the stretched handprints she now had on the front of her shirt. At least May hadn't touched her vest…Then, she turned her attention to the problem at hand. Looking back at the tree in front of her, Kelli became even more certain that they'd passed it before. She verbalized her doubts.

"May, don't you think this tree looks familiar?" she asked the brunette coordinator. She braced herself for May's explosion, which she knew was coming.

As Kelli had expected, May's eyes widened, and her face became furious. "You mean, we've been traveling around in circles for the past TWO HOURS?" she screamed.

Kelli groaned, too. "What the hell? Why do these things always happen to me?" she muttered. She was more annoyed by how May was taking it than anything. The two of them could've bonded, but instead, May was just being annoying. Then, Kelli looked at May. Her face looked just as pretty as ever, but there was something more; when she smiled, it didn't reach her eyes. Her blue orbs that were normally so full of life looked flat and defeated. They also had a distant look in them, which kind of scared Kelli. She didn't dare bring it up, though, for May would have had a fit about it, and Kelli would have to listen to more constant whining.

Suddenly, Kelli's thoughts were interrupted. The two coordinators them heard a twig crack behind them, and May jumped into the taller girl's arms, shaking with fear. For once, Kelli didn't drop her. She turned instead, sensing something was coming. One arm supported May's surprisingly light body, and the other one reached for the Pokéball that held her Ampharos. She knew her powerful electric-type Pokémon would be ready for just about of a scary Pokémon, like May and Kelli had expected, there was a voice.

"Hey there, Kelli and May! You two lost?" asked a new voice. Both girls instantly recognized the voice as belonging to Emilee. May sighed with relief as she recognized the voice, and her blonde companion let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. To tell the truth, Kelli had never been happier to see another human being; May had spent the past two hours doing nothing but complain about how tired and hungry she was…Kelli almost regretted inviting her to travel along with her, but she'd made a promise to Drew over the phone to protect the blue-eyed brunette. After all, Drew had really helped her out when they'd traveled together, so it was the least she could do in return.

"Emilee!" May squealed, scooping up the younger and considerably shorter girl in her arms. Kelli winced inwardly at the bone-crushing hug the other coordinator was receiving. She was also happy that _she_'d planned her strategy ahead of time; Kelli had been the one to hug May, so it hadn't hurt her in the slightest. Of course, Emilee couldn't really help who she had the misfortune of running into in the woods. Kelli looked at May. Even though she was grinning, it still didn't reach her dull eyes. Kelli wondered if it was because of what Drew had done to her. She gave herself her second mental note of the day: yell Drew's ear off later.

Meanwhile, Emilee's misery continued. Finally, the girl had had enough. "May…can't…breathe," Emilee panted, trying to break free of the perky brunette's clutches.

May instantly let go of the young girl, her blue eyes apologetic. Said young girl frowned a little and straightened her glasses with a disdainful "humph". She then fixed her slightly ruffled ponytail so that it now laid smoothly on her head again. Then, she straightened her shirt that had been twisted as she tried to squirm from May's grasp.

"So, you guys are headed to Ecruteak for a break, right?" Emilee asked once she'd regained her breath. She shot May one more dirty look before turning to Kelli, still waiting for an answer.

Kelli nodded. "Yeah, we were planning on stopping there, but we got kinda turned around," she admitted, scratching the back of her neck self-consciously.

"We were trapped out here for two hours, and I'm starving," May complained, her voice whining. Her face formed in a pout.

Emilee and Kelli rolled their eyes simultaneously. They looked at each other and laughed as May looked at them indignantly and shot each girl a venomous glare.

Once Kelli wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes, her face turned apologetic. "Sorry, May, but you're just so dramatic. No wonder Drew thinks you're so cute," she said playfully.

May blushed. Then, what Kelli said hit her full force. "Drew thinks I'm cute?" she asked instantly, her eyes finally regaining some of that old glow they used to carry.

Kelli and Emilee looked at each other nervously. Even Emilee knew better than to tell May that Drew liked her, and Kelli had basically done so. _Oops,_ Kelli thought, wincing inwardly at her slip-up. _How am I going to get myself out of this one?_

* * *

"So, Drew, are you running short on any supplies?" Harley asked Drew, who'd been acting suspiciously quiet since they'd met up in the Pokémon Center. He was worried about the green-haired coordinator; despite a common misconception, he actually liked Drew, and he didn't want the guy to be miserable. He was almost certain that it was about May, too.

"Yeah," Drew said absentmindedly, his emerald gaze focused on something far away. The two males were sitting on a bench in Cottonbrook Town's surprisingly large park. The sun set, staining the sky with orange and pink and casting the cotton fields that surrounded this entire town a dark brown as the shadows of dusk began to envelop the landscape. A stray Hoothoot hooted in the distance, but it was serenely quiet, especially after that terrible storm that'd hit the night before. Surprisingly (and thankfully), the storm hadn't been too destructive, and no one had gotten hurt. Harley mulled over all of this as he sat next to Drew, listening to the bug Pokémon buzzing to themselves, as if saying good night to the world. The bird Pokémon chattered in their nests that rested in the nearby trees.

Actually, Harley had many things on his mind—and he was sure that Drew had a lot, too. Most of what was on Harley's mind was about what Drew may or may not have had on his mind. He decided that he'd speak to Drew, seeing as the chartreuse-haired coordinator looked pretty miserable.

"What're you thinking about, Drew?" Harley asked, breaking the peaceful silence.

Drew looked up, a slightly bemused, slightly scolding expression on his face. "Well, to tell the truth, I was thinking about how quickly you got here, Harley," he answered with a small smirk. Then, it faded and he went back to thinking. "You probably caught a new Pokémon, and from my guess, it's a flying type," he mused, speaking more to himself than to his new traveling companion.

"Actually, I did, hon, but I was hoping to save him for the contest," Harley mumbled, taken aback that Drew was thinking about him.

Drew mentally chuckled. Harley was so fun—and easy to mess with. It was almost as much fun as annoying May, but May still had Harley beat with the reactions.

"Well, I guess…if you don't wanna tell me," Drew said, his voice sounding hurt. Of course, he wasn't hurt. He was just seeing if Harley had changed since they'd made their pact.

Just as Drew had predicted, Harley's eyes narrowed. "I may be trusting, Drew, but I'm not _that_ stupid," Then, he did something Drew wasn't quite expecting (although he should have, considering he'd known Harley as long as he did). The amethyst-haired man burst out laughing, holding his stomach as he rolled around on the ground, seemingly not caring about his outfit (although, it was already green, so it couldn't get a grass stain). Drew just watched, rolling his eyes, as the older coordinator roared with laughter. Harley popped his head up to look at Drew, tears of laughter still in his eyes.

_Geez, what kind of guy laughs so hard he cries—in a public park?_ Drew demanded mentally.

Harley's body still shook with laughter, and as he spoke, every few words were punctuated by a laugh. "You really *laugh* thought *laugh* I'd be dumb enough *laugh* to fall *laugh* for that nice guy act! Hah! Hahahahahahaahahahah! Hahahahahah! That's so funny!" he cried, laughing some more. "You…my friend, you're a total _riot_!"

"Well," Drew flipped a stray bang from his eyes in that artful manner he had, smirking slightly. When that piece of hair left Drew's line of vision, Harley noticed, even through his laughter, that his viridian eyes still appeared distant. "I'm glad I could entertain you," he finished dryly.

Harley's eyes narrowed again. What was with Drew? "What's really bugging you?" he asked after he'd regained his breath.

"Nothing," Drew replied calmly. "I'm just thinking about how much fun it'll be to _wipe the dance floor with you_," he said, remembering that as something May had told him Harley said to her once.

Harley's eyes narrowed once again, Normal Harley temporarily forgotten. Then, he exploded, just as Drew had expected him to do. "No one uses one of Harley's lines against him and lives to tell the tale!" he said, balling his hands into fists.

Drew rolled his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "Then it'll be even more fun to beat you," he sneered. "Because you'll be trying. Then, I'll be even more proud of my Pokémon when we win our fifth ribbon,"

Harley glowered at the younger boy. Then, just as quickly as he'd come, Creepy Harley left and was replaced by a tired-looking Normal Harley. "You know what I just realized, Drew?" he asked.

Drew shook his head, his gaze still focused elsewhere.

"Flying takes a lot of energy," With that, Harley began to walk away. Then, he turned to the younger boy. "You coming, Drew?" he asked, looking up at the setting sun. Where had the time gone? The day was almost over, and the contest was the day after tomorrow.

Drew's head snapped up, and Harley watched as his shining hair went up, too…it was quite mystifying, to say the least. Of course, Harley didn't mean that in the romantic manner; he was just giving credit where credit was due.

The young man looked up to see Harley was already standing, so he gathered his things. "Don't worry, Harley," he said with a sympathetic smile. "Flying gets easier with practice—and that includes practice for _Pelipper_, too,"

Harley gasped. "How did you know that I caught that little sweetie pie?" he demanded.

"Just a hunch. I know that the only way to fly on Pelipper is in its mouth," Drew explained calmly. "Your gait looked stiff, which was what gave it away,"

"So much for the element of surprise," Harley muttered.

Drew smirked. "If you want, I can teach you how to fly it more efficiently and comfortably," he offered.

"Sure!" Harley said enthusiastically.

"Great, we'll start tomorrow; you'll be wanting to fly back to Slateport nice and fast after I beat you, after all," Drew joked.

Harley smiled, taking it as a joke—whether it was one or not. Then, in a sudden bout of kindness, he hugged Drew. "Thanks, buddy," he said.

Drew pried Harley's arms off, frowning at him. "How many times do I have to tell you: no hugs!" he said, stalking away.

"Good old Drew," Harley muttered after him, a smile still on his face. "It's good to see that she hasn't changed you a bit,"

* * *

After Kelli made something up about May hearing things, which Emilee backed up, they all let the subject of Drew drop. So, even with a few stops for rest, May, Emilee, and Kelli spent most of the afternoon walking through the semi-forest en route to Ecruteak City. May's rumbling stomach had caused the other two girls to laugh many a time, but Kelli soon became sick of May's belly's backtalk, so she grudgingly handed May a nutrition bar from her backpack.

"Just take it," Kelli replied before May could argue, shoving the bar into the girl's hands. She pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers; the blonde already felt a migraine coming on. This was worse torture than her younger sister, that was for sure. After all, it was considered rude to just duct tape one's rival's mouth shut—whereas, with a sister, it was almost pardoned.

"Your stomach has _way_ too much to say," Emilee added with a small smile. She could tell that Kelli was on edge already, and an angry Kelli was a force to be reckoned with—especially considering the older girl had a Charizard, and Emilee used steel-types…In other words, they would both be toast if Kelli got mad—literally.

May laughed as she took a bite of the bar. "Mmm! Chocolate! I just love chocolate!" she said, taking another bite.

As the brunette said this, Emilee thought she heard Kelli say, "A promise is a promise, a promise is a promise, a promise is a promise, a promise is a promise, A PROMISE IS A PROMISE!" By the last phrase, her voice was so loud that it'd silenced May's babbling. Emilee looked thoroughly scared, and she backed away from her blonde friend slowly. May followed her actions, her face turning scared as she realized just how furious Kelli really was.

"'Oh, Kelli, please do it!' he says 'I thought we were friends, Kelli!' he says 'Please protect her, Kelli,' he says!" the girl muttered under her breath.

May wasn't listening to Kelli's ramblings, though. She was looking straight ahead, a huge smile on her face.

"'You know how I feel about her, Kelli!' he says 'Just do this, please, Kelli!' he says!" she said, continuing, even though it was clear that no one was really paying attention. Kelli's furious tone was apparently doing a poor imitation of what Emilee thought to be Drew's voice.

"Kel, calm down," Emilee soothed from where she was standing behind a tree (for safety purposes). "It's okay. Just calm down,"

May then turned to the girls, tugging on their sleeves and ignoring their tension. "Come on!" she cried. "We're almost there! Ecruteak City is right over this hill!" Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement at seeing another city.

Kelli and Emilee looked at each other, relief etched into their features, relief at getting rid of May. May was a sweet girl, but she talked and complained more than what was good for her. _She and Drew are a perfect match, then,_ Emilee reasoned._ Drew is the stoic, put-together, arrogant pretty boy, and May is that sweet, playful, innocent, funny girl_. _They're perfect_. At that realization, Emilee allowed May to drag herself and Kelli along, Ecruteak City and a restful night at the Pokémon Center…

* * *

**A/N: **Well, how'd you like it? I'm pretty sure that either the next chapter or the one after the next will be May's and Drew's next contest…

One last note: Review! (Please)


	12. Oat You Gonna Win that Contest, Drew?

A/N:

Please excuse May's OOC-ness in the last chapter. It actually was for a reason in the story. Just bear with me, and the reason will be revealed in this or the next chapter…so, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own Pokémon or the characters.

* * *

_Last time in What REALLY Happened in Johto…_

She and Drew are a perfect match, then, _Emilee reasoned. _Drew is the stoic, put-together, arrogant pretty boy, and May is that sweet, playful, innocent, funny girl. They're perfect._ At that realization, Emilee allowed May to drag herself and Kelli along, Ecruteak City and a restful night at the Pokémon Center looming ahead…_

* * *

**Chapter 12**: Oat You Gonna Win That Contest, Drew?

"What's up, Harley?" Drew asked as the pair of traveling buddies ate their breakfast. He'd rested up—and had finally gotten some real sleep, thankfully—and he was _so_ ready to win the upcoming contest.

"Well, nothing much, Drew," the purple-haired man had replied, taking another spoonful of cereal while Drew picked at the oatmeal he'd taken.

There was an awkward silence. Drew felt that it was best to actually talk; after all, they were going to travel together, so it would be _convenient_ if they could speak to each other.

"So, how many ribbons have you gotten?" asked Drew finally, breaking the silence yet again.

"I've got three!" Harley bragged.

"Only three? I've got four," Drew answered, showing the man his ribbon case.

Harley pouted. "Oh, boo! Why must you always taunt me with your annoying success, Drew?" he questioned. This time, though, his voice didn't sound malicious. It just sounded tired and bored at the same time. The man took another bite of his toast, chewing it slowly and thoughtfully.

Drew felt a pang of tiredness himself. Something about spending an entire day training with Harley made him feel exhausted, and his suffering hadn't even begun…yet, this new Harley seemed kind of…_normal_. He blinked, almost choking on his orange juice as he came to this realization. Harley _normal? _It just didn't make sense—it was an oxymoron. It was ridiculous to think someone as crazy as that man could even be considered _normal_.

Harley stared at Drew, who, in turn, had been staring wordlessly into his spoonful of oatmeal like a madman for almost an entire minute straight. Harley's expression became concerned as he pondered the possibility of his new "friend" becoming insane just after agreeing to travel with him.

"Something wrong, Drew?" His voice sounded just as concerned as his expression, and Drew suddenly felt slightly self conscious for making a scene like that. If it'd scared Harley, he'd probably done something dreadful—without even knowing it…

"Huh?" Said coordinator jerked his head up. Unfortunately, he'd completely forgotten about the spoonful of oatmeal he'd been about to shove into his mouth, and Harley's words had jolted him from his thoughts so quickly that he ended up dropping the spoon (facedown, of course, because that was just Drew's luck) directly onto his lap. He ended up wincing as the heat from the oatmeal seemed to seep through the fabric of both his jeans and his boxers.

Harley barely suppressed a giggle as he saw the white substance all over the crotch of Drew's pants. "Hey, Drew, that looks like—"

Drew blinked as he realized what the older man was talking about and cut him off abruptly. "It's not funny," he snarled, his cheeks crimson with embarrassment. He grabbed a napkin from the table, wiping at his pants furiously as he tried to avoid eye contact with Harley.

"Try water," said a new voice that was coming from directly across the table.

Drew instantly recognized the calm, smooth, female tone as that of Solidad, so he looked up. "Solidad! What are you doing here?" he demanded, shocked.

Sighing, the coral-haired coordinator pulled up a chair. "Well, I don't think that's a very nice way of greeting a friend, Drew," she said, winking.

Drew rolled his eyes at Solidad's antics, but he couldn't help smiling slightly, too. Her aqua eyes glowed so maternally, and her smile looked sincere as she wet a napkin in a glass of water that had been conveniently placed on the table and handed it to Drew, knowing better than to wipe the mess off herself. Although, doing something like that wouldn't have been that uncomfortable at all, considering he was like a son or little brother to her—and nothing more.

"So," she said, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen on the trio, as Drew finished wiping the front of his jeans as best as he could. "Are you going to tell me how this happened?" she asked, motioning to the newly wet spot (because of the water) that was on Drew's jeans now.

Harley snickered. "Drew was busy thinking about a certain _someone_, so he ended up dropping oatmeal on himself. I told him it looked like—"

Once again, Drew cut off his new _traveling buddy_…even the thought of being traveling buddies with Harley the walking headache made him want to shudder and hurl at the same time. "Harley, I don't think Solidad wants to know how much of a pervert you are—and that's assuming she doesn't know already," he stated calmly, flipping his hair once more.

Solidad smiled. "It's good to see you still haven't changed a bit, Drew, from the last time we spoke—even under Harley's influence." The coordinator winked at Harley, who just grinned in response. Then, her eyes clouded. "I've gotta go take care of some things, but I'll see you both later." With that, she ran off without another word.

Drew and Harley looked at each other. Both came to the same conclusion: Solidad was up to _something._ The only question was…_just what _was_ that something?_

Eventually, the pair returned to their briefly interrupted breakfast. Drew decided to stay away from the oatmeal, though. Instead, he just drank the rest of his orange juice. He then turned his attention across the table when he noticed Harley was looking at him from over the brim of his coffee mug.

"What?" Drew asked impatiently. He drummed his fingers on the metal surface of the table, still glaring at his contest rival. "Oh, and if you're gonna talk about the wet stain on my pants and how it looks like—"

Drew was cut off. "I was just thinking about how you were in the middle of bragging about your ribbons," Harley said. "And we all know it looks like you wet your pants, Drew, and if anyone gets wind of this, you'll never hear the end of it."

The green-haired coordinator's expression darkened. "You're right, which means that this stays between you and me," he said, giving Harley a threatening glare.

"And Solidad," Harley pointed out.

"Solidad isn't who I'm worried about," Drew countered. "It's you, so I'll reiterate. This remains between the two of us. Or else," he finished ominously.

Harley gasped in mock fright. "Or else what, hon?" he questioned, making his voice shake a little bit for dramatic effect.

"Or else, I'll shred your Cacturne costume," Drew threatened, a slight bit of a smirk forming on his face.

Harley clenched his fist but managed to respond. "Well, if you do that, hon, I'll just have to shave your pretty, green head in your sleep," he warned, shaking a menacing finger at Drew.

Said teenager clutched his flawless hair, fear taking over. "You wouldn't," he breathed, his emerald eyes widened in horror.

Harley sighed, going back to his meal. He picked up his toast, spreading some strawberry jam across it halfheartedly. Drew sighed, too—though it was mostly in relief. Instead of continuing to eat his oatmeal (he was probably too traumatized to ever consume oatmeal again, actually), Drew chose to take a bite out of the apple he'd also picked up at the buffet. After all, he had to stay healthy, and not eating was _not_ a good way to do that.

"So…" Harley said, breaking the silence that had once again fallen over the pair of males. "How're your Pokémon doing?"

"Fine," Drew replied curtly. He looked back at his apple, staring at his reflection in its glossy surface. He noticed that part of his hair was sticking up slightly from when he'd pulled at it, so he gently smoothed the top back into place. He'd often been called vain, but looking good had always been a priority of Drew's.

In response to his single word answer, Drew heard a huff coming from his companion. Drew saw from the corner of his eye that Harley had folded his arms crossly, looking at the other coordinator expectantly. Then, he just sat there, staring at Drew with a strange expression on his face. It was just a little too weird for the green-haired teen's taste.

Finally, after about five minutes of ignoring Harley's stares, Drew became sick of it. He put the bitten apple back down on his plate, sighing. "What is it, Harley?" His voice was slightly forced, and his fists were clenched under the table in annoyance. Just when he'd had the good fortune to discover that apples actually served as excellent mirrors, Harley had to annoy the heck out of him and ruin them moment.

"Aren't you going to ask me how _my_ Pokémon are doing?" said purple-haired coordinator questioned plaintively. His eyes wavered, and Drew was certain Harley was about to fake cry.

Drew rolled his eyes but sighed in resignation. As was always the case with Harley, just doing what he demanded was usually the fastest way to shut him up. "Sure." He paused dramatically, taking a breath that was accompanied by another eye roll. "So, Harley, how are your Pokémon doing?" he asked dully.

Harley brightened up immediately. "Well, thanks for asking, hon!" he said with a sunny smile.

Drew groaned. He could tell already that this was going to be a long story—just from hearing the way Harley took a deep breath.

"Oh, I absolutely _must_ tell you what my adorable, dearest Cacturne did yesterday!" Harley cried, leaning in closer to Drew. "Cacturne and I were minding our own business, just walking through the woods, when a cantankerous trainer came up and hit me on the head with something. Wanna know what it was?"

Drew stayed silent. He picked up his apple once more, taking a bored bite out of it.

Harley knew that his "friend" wouldn't respond, so he simply continued. "It was a Pokéball!" he said angrily. "That little twit tried to capture me with a Pokéball!"

Drew smiled slightly, taking another bite of the apple to stifle his laughter. _Now_, he was listening to Harley's story that had just taken an unintentional turn for the humorous.

"So, I asked him what his problem was. Then, we immediately began to battle! I used my perfect Cacturne, and he sent out this annoying little Marshstomp. I had such an advantage over _that_ lousy thing! He told it to use Blizzard, thinking a star like myself would be stupid enough to fall for such a trick!" Harley cackled. "Of course, I was too slick."

"Naturally," was Drew's only response. He took another bite of the red apple, rolling his eyes as Harley kept right on talking.

"And then, my darling little Cacturne buddy jumped, and…" Drew had already tuned out Harley's babblings about how amazing his Pokémon were. _Seriously, that guy can _really_ talk! _Drew thought. However, he'd brought this on himself by prompting Harley. He had a feeling that he was going to be sitting there for a long time, listening to Harley's stories about his "little buddies…"

* * *

"May! Get up!" cried a voice, snapping May from her dreams.

Rubbing her eyes, May lifted her head. She was lying on a bed in a plain-looking room. Sunlight filtered in through the windows. It was definitely a Pokémon Center room. There were two girls in the room who she instantly recognized as her new traveling companions, Emilee and Kelli.

"What?" May asked groggily as she tried to remember exactly where she was and what she was doing with those two girls. Why, only seconds ago, she'd been in LaRousse City with Drew (that'd obviously been a dream, though).

Somehow, May managed to hear the sound of a Pokéball opening. Seconds later, she heard the coo of a Pokémon that she wracked her brain to recognize. Finally, she did…it sounded like—

"Gorebyss, use Water Pulse on May," another voice ordered, snapping the brunette from her thoughts.

May found herself suddenly soaked. She shook her now-wet head to clear it. "Kelli?" she asked as she opened her eyes once more.

Said blonde grinned. "Guilty as charged," she stated.

Emilee also grinned at May. "You slept so soundly that we thought you'd _never_ wake up."

"What time is it?" May questioned.

Kelli's expression turned serious. "It's, like, quarter of nine, May. We let you sleep in, but you've really gotta get a move-on now."

"What for?" May demanded. "The contest isn't until the day after tomorrow!"

Before Kelli could say anything, Emilee smiled slyly. "Kelli just doesn't wanna be late to see the big battle," she said, her glasses glinting.

"Big battle?" May asked, still confused.

Kelli blushed and grabbed May by the hand, pulling her up out of bed not so gently. "You're just full of questions this morning, aren't you?" she panted as she grabbed May's clothes and tossed them to her.

As May got dressed, Emilee explained. "Well, Kelli's _friend_ Trent has decided to make Ecruteak City's Gym his final destination. Since we're here, Kelli seems to have her little heart set on watching his Gym battle."

May's blue orbs shone knowingly. "So, this is about Trent, is it?" she asked.

Kelli began blushing even more deeply. "Why, I don't know _what_ you're talking about. He's just a good trainer, that's all. We're really just friends. We used to be rivals," she babbled, her blush deepening by the second.

"Really? Then why was he _all_ you could talk about, huh, Kelli?" Emilee retorted with a wicked smile.

"You wouldn't understand," Kelli remarked, sighing.

"Ouch, that's a low blow. I'm just a little kid, you know," Emilee said, adjusting her glasses. Every second, the little brunette seemed more and more like May's little brother.

"Guys?" May asked quietly.

"Well, at least I can find someone!" Kelli said. Her eye twitched, which was always a warning sign that she was about to turn into Angry Kelli.

"Guys?" May asked a little louder, picking up on the warning sign.

"What if I don't wanna find someone?" Emilee responded coolly.

"That's the lamest excuse I ever—"

"GUYS!" May shouted.

"What?" both girls demanded, turning to look at May.

"I'm ready," she said sweetly. She spun around for the girls. "What do you think?" May asked, curtseying.

Kelli and Emilee looked at each other, barely restraining laughs. "You look the same as you always do!" they chorused. Then, both of May's traveling companions giggled.

May raised an eyebrow, but she didn't say anything; hey, this was a lot better than seeing them fight, after all. She smiled to herself as she grabbed her bags, watching as Kelli and Emilee did the same. They all knew they would be returning tonight, but they wanted to bring as much as they needed, just to be safe.

She had been so tired and yesterday, and being tired made her both cranky and hyper at the same time. Fortunately, Kelli and Emilee had been really understanding about it. So now, even though she would've rather just gone on to Cottonbrook Town today, she decided to compromise and watch Trent's Gym Battle with Morty.

"Hurry up!" Kelli cried. She pulled May and Emilee along, running through the quiet streets of Ecruteak City.

"Why are you hurrying?" May cried. "I thought the Gym opened at nine!"

"Yeah! When's Trent's battle, anyway?" Emilee added.

Kelli didn't even turn. "He told me that his battle starts at nine fifteen," she said, still pulling her friends along.

Emilee looked at her Pokétch, which just happened to be on her right wrist (her left wrist was being yanked from its socket by Kelli). It was ten after nine now. She peered past Kelli as the streets blurred by. Then, she saw the Gym. May saw it, too, and cheered inwardly at not being dismembered by her excited friend.

Kelli finally skidded to a halt, not even caring when May and Emilee rammed into her full-force. She regained her breath quickly, smiling at the Gym doors.

"Why do I always get hurt around you, Kelli?" Emilee muttered, rubbing her left shoulder.

"She almost pulled my arm from the socket," May murmured to Emilee.

"Yeah, I know the feeling," the other brunette responded.

Kelli interrupted both of them. "I don't know!" she said impatiently. She had begun tapping her foot. "Where is he?" she muttered.

That brought May to another question. "Who's _he _again?" she asked Emilee in a whisper, not wanting to be injured bodily by Kelli.

"Trent," Emilee said, still catching her breath. "He's Kelli's _boyfriend_," she added.

"Who's Kelli's boyfriend?" asked another voice. This one was male and sounded as though the body it belonged to was currently experiencing his voice change.

"Trent!" Kelli cried, engulfing the boy in a hug.

Said boy was tall, about Drew's height, actually. He had dark, forest green hair and dark grey eyes. He was attractive, and he wore a light blue shirt and dark wash jeans. It was obvious he was in good shape.

"So, this is the famous Trent," May added with a smile.

"You're May, right?" asked the male trainer. He really did have nice eyes, and his hair was nice, too, and he had a pretty cute voice. Then again, May could see why Kelli thought he was hot in general.  
"That's right," Emilee said, jumping in front of May. "And I'm Emilee. It's great to meet you."

"Likewise." Then, Trent turned to Kelli. "How are you?" he questioned.

Kelli whipped out her ribbon case, grinning. "I've got all five contest ribbons here," she said happily.

"Congratulations," Trent said.

"Thanks," Kelli replied, blushing slightly as he smiled at her.

"So, are you about to start your eighth gym battle against Morty?" May asked, causing both Trent and Kelli to turn.

Trent nodded. "We're going to kick butt," he said, tossing a Pokéball into the air and catching it in a gloved hand.

"Oh, so you're Trent," said another voice. This one belonged to a young man around the age of twenty. His voice was smooth and calm and instantly commanded attention. "I'm Morty, the Ecruteak City Gym Leader. It's nice to meet you, Trent." The man offered his hand for Trent, who took it quickly.

"Likewise," Trent replied smoothly. Then, he turned to May, Emilee, and Kelli. "Is it okay if my friends watch my battle?" he queried.

Morty nodded. "The more the merrier," he said.

"Hey, he's kinda cute," Emilee said as the group made their way inside the gym.

"Who? Morty?" May asked.

Emilee palmed herself. "No!" Then, she leaned in close. "Trent," she whispered. "What do you think of him?"

May scoffed. "He's not my type," she said.

"Well, let's decide after we see him battle." Emilee left it at that.

May shrugged and followed the smaller girl to the seats they would be sitting in to witness the battle.

"Okay, this is a three-on-three battle," the referee announced. "There's no time limit, and the challenger may substitute at any time, but the gym leader may not substitute at all."

Morty sent out his first Pokémon. "Go! Gastly!" he said.

Trent thought for a second. Then, he smiled. "Raticate, let's do this!"

Raticate emerged in a white glow. "_Raticate!_" it cried threateningly.

Morty and Gastly looked unfazed. "You may make the first move, Trent," he said cordially.

"Raticate, use Iron Tail!" Trent ordered.

"Gastly, dodge and use Hypnosis," Morty said serenely.

A small smile formed on Trent's otherwise cold visage. "Now, spin and use Bite," he said.

The ghost Pokémon was completely caught off guard. Its master, however, wasn't. "Dodge once more," Morty commanded.

"Raticate, use Zen Headbutt," said Trent.

The psychic attack was super-effective against the ghost-poison Gastly, and Trent knew that. His cold smile deepened.

"Now, Raticate, finish this up with your Thunder Fang attack!"

"Gastly, look out!" For the first time, Morty looked a bit scared.

Raticate jumped into the air and lunged. Gastly wasn't able to dodge the attack. Since it'd already taken a serious hit from Raticate's Zen Headbutt, it fainted.

"Gastly is unable to battle," said the ref.

"Return, Gastly," said Morty.

"Great job, Raticate," Trent said.

"Wow, he's not half bad," Emilee said. "And, he's cute!"

May smiled. He _was_ kinda cute…She turned to look at Kelli and see her reaction.

"You can do it, Trent!" she cried.

Trent turned and winked at her, and Kelli began to blush.

Emilee and May looked at each other with grins. That would be perfect to make fun of her about later.

"Now, Duskull, go!" said Morty.

Trent turned his attention back to the battle. "Raticate, use Water Pulse," he said.

"Duskull, Protect!" The attack was blocked by Duskull's Protect.

"That leaves Trent in a really vulnerable position," Emilee said nervously. "His Raticate could be caught completely off guard if Morty decides to attack now."

"Don't worry; Trent will be just fine," said Kelli. "If he loses this battle, _I'll _challenge Morty," she muttered.

"Duskull, use Psybeam," said Morty.

"Raticate, no!" Trent cried.

The poor Pokémon was thrown through the air by Duskull's powerful attack. It landed back next to Trent, unconscious.

"Raticate is unable to battle," said the referee.

"Good work, Duskull," Morty said approvingly.

"Raticate, return," Trent said. He fished another Pokéball from his pocket. "Now, Golbat, go!" said Trent.

"Nice, a Golbat!" said Emilee. She sighed mockingly. "Trent is sooooo precious."

Kelli elbowed the younger girl. "Shh! I'm trying to watch the battle," she hissed, a red blush clear on her face.

May just giggled softly and kept watching.

"Golbat, use Crunch!" said Trent.

"Duskull, dodge," Morty ordered.

Golbat lunged, but Duskull disappeared. The bat Pokémon looked left and right nervously, and its attack lost its charge. Then, suddenly, Duskull reappeared.

"Behind you! Use Sludge Bomb!" Trent cried.

Golbat, since it was faster than Duskull, whipped around rapidly. It launched its purple glob of poison, which hit the Ghost Pokémon straight in its "face," knocking it unconscious on contact.

"Duskull is unable to battle," the ref announced.

"Duskull, return," said Morty. "Gengar, go!"

"The Gym Leader sends out his final Pokémon, Gengar," said the ref.

"_Gengar,_" the ghost said threateningly.

"You can do it, Golbat!" said Trent.

"_Bat,_" Golbat replied, sounding just as certain.

"Wow, isn't Trent so _tough_?" Emilee teased.

"Shut up, Emilee," Kelli hissed, almost losing her patience.

"Why don't both of you shut up?" May replied. "I'm trying to watch, here," she said. The only reason she cared so much was because watching Trent battle reminded her of how things had been when she'd traveled with Ash. As much as he'd annoyed her sometimes, Ash was a great friend, and May felt like Ash was her older brother a lot of the time.

"Golbat, use Extrasensory!" said Trent.

"Gengar, use your Night Shade attack to counter!" Morty ordered. "I'm not giving this one up without a fight."

The two Pokémon were in a complete stalemate. From her experience with both battling and watching battles, May knew both Pokémon couldn't keep this up for much longer. Eventually, Golbat couldn't attack any longer; it was just too worn out from battling against Duskull.

"Golbat is unable to battle," said the referee.

"Good fight, Golbat," Trent said, calling back his Pokémon. Then, he looked thoughtful. Finally, he reached into his pocket, expanding his next Pokéball. "Magmar, I choose you!"

The fiery Pokémon looked ready to battle, but May could tell that it wasn't at a very high level yet; it was probably newly evolved from a Magby—either that, or it was newly caught. Even so, its condition appeared to be pretty good, and, knowing Trent for the small amount of time for which she'd watched him battle, he had some killer moves up that Pokémon's sleeves.

"Magmar, use Flamethrower!" Trent said.

"Dodge, Gengar," Morty commanded.

Gengar did as told and launched what appeared to be a Hypnosis attack. Fortunately, Magmar's Flamethrower prevented it from falling asleep; Magmar had cloaked itself with the attack instead of firing it at Morty's Pokémon. It was a pretty smart strategy, but that could only be used once or twice before it was useless. Trent had to come up with something quickly if he wanted to win the match.

"Okay, Magmar, finish this! Use Faint Attack!" said Trent triumphantly.

Magmar did as told, and, try as Gengar and Morty might, Faint Attack was unavoidable and hit its target. Gengar fainted from the powerful Dark-type attack.

"Gengar is unable to battle. The winner of the match is the challenger!" the referee said.

May, Emilee, and Kelli all cheered from their places in the stands.

"Congratulations," Morty said. "For defeating me in battle, you have earned this: the Fog Badge."

Trent took it with a smile. "Thank you. Battling against you was both an honor and an enjoyment," he said politely.

"Likewise."

Morty watched with widened eyes as Trent put his badge into his badge case.

"This was your eighth badge?" Morty asked with a raised eyebrow.

Trent nodded with a grin. "That's right. I'll be entering the Silver Conference in a few months."

"Well, good luck," said Morty. With that, he walked back into the recesses of his gym.

May, Kelli, and Emilee rose. Kelli sprinted to where Trent was standing.

"Congratulations!" she cried. She looked a bit shy, so she didn't hug him. Instead the blonde put her arm uncomfortably on Trent's shoulder, and both preteens began blushing.

May noticed the warning signs of awkwardness and intervened before social casualties could occur. "Great job, Trent," she said with a big, friendly smile.

"Thanks," said Trent. He moved forward, and Kelli had the forethought to remove her arm, a fact for which May thanked Mew fervently.

Emilee then jumped in front of Kelli. "You did amazingly, Trent," she said, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously. "Congrats on your eighth badge."

"Thanks," said Trent, a blush creeping across his face once more at all the female attention.

"By the way, are you single, Trent?" Emilee asked.

"Uh…yeah," he said.

"Well, I—"

May cut her off with a dirty look while Kelli settled for an elbow to Emilee's stomach. The young girl struggled to catch her breath, and Trent looked slightly overwhelmed, but that was only to be expected.

"Thanks, but I really should get moving—there's a lot of training for the Silver Conference, you know. I'd love to stay for longer, but I think I'm going to head to Mt. Silver to train. It was nice meeting you…" Before he left, Trent planted a kiss on Kelli's cheek. "I'll call you on my Pokégear later. You have my number, right?" he asked.

Kelli nodded, an almost goofy smile on her face. "Yeah, I'll see you, Trent," she said.

As Trent walked down the city street, morning sunlight setting a shine to his hair, Kelli smiled and waved after him. May saw Trent look back several time, and she beamed at the sight, feeling slightly like a proud parent.

Once she was sure Trent was out of earshot, Kelli giggled, touching her cheek.

"I'm never going to wash this cheek again," she whispered, a huge grin plastered on her face. She repeated the mantra several times in a fervent chant.

"Okay, we get it," Emilee said with an eye roll. "You're going to completely disregard personal hygiene because you were kissed on the cheek by the guy of your dreams."

"Yeah," Kelli said with a sigh. "I can't believe he really likes me!" she cried, spinning around.

May kept her smile the entire time. She sat down on a nearby bench with a wishful smile on her face; she was wishing that her relationships could be that easy.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for that uber-long wait…I was meaning to get to it…but…oh well. I guess that's why I gave you that chapter—also because of the overload of reviews begging for an update. Next time—and I give you my scout's honor—the wait won't be that long! Hope you enjoyed—and please review!


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